Let's Give Them Something To Talk About
by Stephanie Elisabeth Neal
Summary: Inspired by the lyrics to the song by Bonnie Raitt. The guys talk about some things they think they see, but what's really going on? Will eventually crossover with all Law & Order shows. Femslash. AO and CS...so far.
1. Chapter 1

1:00 pm, Manhattan SVU Squadroom.

Detective Olivia Benson strolled into the 16th precinct completely unaware of what had just transpired between her co-workers in her absence. While Olivia was out to lunch with her best friend, Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, back inside the squadroom Detectives Elliot Stabler, John Munch, and Odafin Tutuola were heatedly discussing the nature of the relationship between the two extremely private and reserved women.

60 minutes earlier

"I'm off to Alex's office. Call me if something comes up. See you guys in a few!" Olivia announced as she flew out the door with her coat in hand.

"Ah to be young again. She's sure to come back with a smile on her face after her afternoon delight with our illustrious ADA," Munch whispered to his partner Fin.

"I don't know whose luckier: Liv, Alex, or that couch in Alex's office," Fin replied.

"You guys are nuts! I've known Liv for years. She's like a little sister to me. And I know for a fact she trusts me with her life. She'd tell me if something was going on even if she wouldn't tell you two jokers," Elliot declared with a satisfied smirk.

"You never know man, maybe she's stayin' tight lipped about it 'cause she knows you're such a good Catholic boy," Fin offered.

Elliot scowled in response. "She knows that wouldn't change anything. We see enough twisted forms of 'love' everyday in our line of work that I'd never deny anyone real love and happiness if they were lucky enough to find it."

Fin smirked good-naturedly. "I'm jus' messin' with you man. I know you're cool with it. We all are. And we all just want our girl to be happy."

Every the conspiracy theorist, Munch just had to throw in his two cents. "Well let's examine the evidence shall we. People's 1: Ever since Liv and Alex have had their standing lunch date every Tuesday, our ADA has been so much more... 'accommodating' on Wednesdays."

"People's 2: Liv's never taken off without the Cap givin' her a direct order to leave, but lately, she's been eyeballin' the clock. She takes her full lunch break and she's outta here on time whenever she can," Fin continued.

"People's 3: Alex's visit to the squadroom have increased exponentially in number in the past few weeks."

"People's 4: Cabot always takes a seat on Liv's desk and Liv's is the only cup Cabot'll ever refill when she refills her own."

"People's 5: The looks they've been giving each other, the private smile..." Munch started, but was abruptly cut off by Elliot who had turned slightly pink from embarrassment over the fact that he'd failed to see any of this.

"Alright alright already. That's enough. We're Detectives! This is all just speculation - we can't find guilt based on circumstantial evidence! First of all, we don't know what Alex does on Tuesday _nights_ to make her so agreeable on Wednesday mornings. Secondly, we should be glad Liv is finally taking some time for herself. We all know that the last few cases have hit pretty close to home for her. Furthermore, it's _because_of those cases that Alex has had to come down here so much. Hell, half of the time, _we're_the one's calling her down here! She's probably so tired from making her trips here that she needs to sit for a minute and Liv's is the only desk not piled high with crap. And as for the coffee thing, well, she only has two hands and she probably wouldn't want to give one of us boneheads the wrong idea by filling one of ours."

"Whatever El. Look, all we're sayin' is it's possible. Ya know?"

"Right. I mean, it's not like we're saying it's a bad thing. They're both stunning women and they've got a lot in common. If it is true, then I say 'Mazal Tov'," Munch stated matter-of-fact-ly.

"Pfft. Now I _know_ you guys have lost it. What could the Ice Princess and Olivia possibly have in common?"

"Their dedication to justice."

"Their compassion for the victims."

"Their seemingly solitary lifestyles."

"The fact that they're women tryin' to make it in the good ol' boys club."

"Their lack of interest in the multitude of eligible men vying for their attention." Munch and Fin offered their answers in quick succession.

"Whatever. I still say you guys are nuts. Come on now, let's eat! My fries are getting cold." Elliot brushed them off while making a mental note to talk to Liv later.

--------------------------------------------------------------------­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­-------------------------------------------------------------

5:00 pm. The sidewalk just outside of the 16th precinct.

"Come on Liv, I'll give you a lift home."

"Thanks El."

"No problem partner."

As they walked to the car and got in, Elliot was mentally preparing himself for the conversation he was about to have. He'd been thinking all day about how to broach the topic, but he still didn't know what he was going to say. Sensing her partner's discomfort 30 seconds into the trip, Olivia took pity on him.

"What's on your mind El?"

"Huh?! What? Oh...it's nothing Liv."

"Come on El. I know you better than that. You know I'll get it out of you eventually. Might as well just tell me now and save us both a lot of trouble."

Knowing he'd been caught but still not ready to dive into the deep end of the conversation yet, he shrugged non-commitally and muttered, "lesbians..."

Liv's raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in question. "Is this one of those things I'll regret knowing about you?" she half-joked.

"What? Oh. No! No Liv, of course not. I was just thinking that I'm surrounded by a number of women and if one of them came to me and said 'I'm a lesbian', that'd be okay with me, you know?"

"Has Maureen been hinting at it or something? Is she...?"

"No, it's nothing like that. But if she was, I would hope that she would trust me enough to talk to me about it. And I'd hope that she knows that I love her and nothing would ever change that." Elliot stated and gave his partner a pointed look as he pulled over in front of her building.

"Okay. Well, thanks for the ride. I appreciate it."

"Anytime Liv. Should I pick you up tomorrow morning?"

"No thanks. I'm meeting with Alex tomorrow morning for breakfast and we're gonna go over my testimony for the Adams case."

"Oh okay. G'night then." Elliot replied succinctly.

"Night El. Say hi to Kathy and the girls for me." Olivia waved as stepped up further onto the curb and rummaged for her keys.

"Will do." As Elliot drove off smiling, he thought to himself, _Maybe it's not Tuesday nights that make the counselor agreeable on Wednesdays. What if it's Wednesday mornings? Maybe the guys were partially right..._


	2. Chapter 2

I forgot to add a disclaimer...so... insert standard disclaimer here ...

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5:20 pm.

As she stood outside her door fumbling with her keys, she contemplated the night that lay ahead of her. For as  
long as she could remember, her nights were filled with paperwork and follow-up on the endless cases she saw day in and day out, but for the last few weeks, her nights have been something to look forward to. Her quiet nights had served to calm her and she was more focused during the day.

_Guess Huang was right. I was pushing myself so hard I was about to burnout._

Having spare time to relax was a luxury she never allowed herself in the past. But lately, at Cragen's behest and Huang's orders, she had been taking her full lunch break, leaving work on time, and making more time for things she enjoyed.

Upon entering her apartment, which was cleaner than it had been in months due to all her spare time, she felt her cell phone vibrate in its holster against her hip. Hoping her night of red wine and re-runs wasn't ruined, she hesitantly checked her caller id. Seeing Alex's number, she crossed her fingers hoping it was a social call and not another case.

"Hey Cabot. I should haul you in for harassing an officer of the law."

"I'd be offended if that statement was without merit Detective, but unfortunately, it is not an unsubstantiated claim." Alex smirked on her end of the line._You could haul me in as long as you promised to cuff me and pat me down first._

"Ooh, still using your big five dollar words. I take it you're still at the office." Olivia chuckled slightly at her friend's misfortune.

"Indeed Detective. Are you still at the station? I'm headed there now to drop off a file for Don and I need to review case with you before tomorrow morning." _And I'd really love to see you before tomorrow morning_, Alex mentally added.

"Nope, sorry Lex. Elliot dropped me off right before you called."

"Well, I hate to impose on your evening plans but would you mind if I swung by after I'm done here?"

"Alexandra Cabot, you know full well you never need to ask if you can come over!" Olivia chastised playfully. "But I do have to warn you that you'll be a third wheel. I have a date tonight with a bottle of Merlot," she quipped merrily

Alex's chest tightened briefly at the mention of Olivia on a date. But she visibly relaxed when she realized it Olivia was only teasing. "I certainly will not be a third wheel. I'm bringing my date, caprese salad, along with me."

"Sounds good. You up for sharing?" Olivia teased.

"No." Alex stated matter-of-fact-ly, which flustered Olivia slightly. "I'll being extra and some tiramisu in case the date goes well," she amended.

"Scared me for a minute there Counselor. Thought maybe I was no longer in your good graces."

"Good to know I can still keep you on your toes Liv." Alex grinned into phone. "I'm at the station now, but I'll call you when I'm on my way."

"Okay. See you soon."

_But not soon enough_, Alex thought. "Bye Liv."

As they both hung up, Alex contemplated how pleasant her evening was turning out to be. She'd been stressed lately and the prospect of having dinner with Olivia gave her something to look forward to. She could literally feel the knots in her shoulder releasing. Barely able to suppress a grin, she made her way towards Don's office.


	3. Chapter 3

6:30 pm.

Olivia had long ago abandoned her work clothes in favor of track pants and a tank top. Sitting on her couch, she stared at the tv while absent-mindedly channel surfing. Her thoughts were elsewhere though. Something about Elliot's demeanor in the car bugged her. She knew he wasn't being straight with her about what was going on, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

She knew better than to push Elliot into talking about what he was feeling, so she decided to keep an eye and an ear on him to see if she could figure it out herself. The phone ringing brought her out of her musings. She leaned over the arm of the couch to reach for the phone. She glanced at the caller id briefly before responding.

"Good Evening Counselor. Do you have an ETA for me?"

"Hey Liv. I'm on my way over there now. Give me 30."

"Sure. I'll just open the wine now to let it breath. That way, we'll both be ready for you when you get here."

"Alright. See you in half an hour."

Hanging up her phone, Alex thought about all the times she'd been to the veteran detective's apartment. While smaller than her posh penthouse, Alex preferred the more home-y feel of Liv's place, although it could stand to be a little neater she conceded. The cozy quality though was one that Alex did not contribute entirely to the décor or the size. There was something distinctly 'Olivia' about the space; and seeing the detective's demeanor in her home only served to prove that point. Olivia was more relaxed, more open, more inviting and warm. Not to say she wasn't any of these things outside of her home. On the contrary, it was amazing to watch her interaction with the victims, especially the youngest ones. But in her home, a little bit of the weight that rested squarely on her shoulders seemed to slip off upon entering the doorway. Alex loved seeing Olivia that way because she knew not many people were privy to that side of the usually reserved woman. As the cab pulled up to Olivia's building, Alex paid the driver and fumbled with her attaché case, purse, and food containers. When she finally collected herself and her belonging and was situated on the sidewalk, she pushed the buzzer to alert Olivia of her arrival.

"Liv it's me. Let me in."

"Hey Lex, come on up. I'll leave the door unlocked for you."

Upon entering Olivia's apartment, Alex could see that Olivia had been relaxing on the couch – this was made evident by the candles that illuminated the cozy living space and the knitted throw bunch up on the couch. She could also see that Olivia's apartment was much neater than the last time she'd been there. _I guess she's been using her free time wisely_, Alex thought.

"You're early Counselor," came a pleasantly smooth voice from behind Alex.

"Who knew it'd be so easy to get a cab at this time of night?" Alex offered by way of explanation.

"_Pfft_. Please. Frankly, by the way you tend to stop traffic, I'm surprised you didn't get here sooner." Olivia chuckled.

Alex blushed at the compliment. It wasn't as if she wasn't accustomed to praise. She had people gushing over her brains and her beauty all her life. But every time Olivia did it, Alex felt her face grow warm and the ability to form coherent sentences leave her. A small smile and a whispered 'thanks' were all she could manage.

"So food first or work first?" Olivia asked.

"Let's get work out of the way first so we can just relax with our meal later," Alex replied. "Oh, and I brought an extra bottle of wine, so the one you've already got open, we can have now."

"Alright, I'll meet you on the couch with two glasses. Why don't you go get settled?" Olivia offered.

"Okay. I'll grab the papers we'll need and I'll see you in a minute."

The softness felt so inviting to Alex that wouldn't have minded if the couch swallowed her whole. Olivia's warmth still lingered where she had been earlier and a scent that was distinctly Olivia mingled with it. Alex closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and let Olivia's presence surround all of her senses. She felt the last shred of tension ease its way out of her neck and shoulders. Even though she still had files to review with Olivia, Alex had to smile at the fact that only Olivia could make her feel this at ease. _Olivia even makes work relaxing_ Alex mused with the smile still on her face.

Returning from the kitchen with a wine glass in each hand, Olivia spied the normally poised and proper ADA slouching haphazardly on her overstuffed couch. She was glad that her friend was finally relaxing. Olivia knew that Alex, much like herself, had been over worked during the past couple of weeks. Quietly making her way over to the couch, Olivia placed the wine glasses on the coffee table. Kneeling down, she proceeded to remove the counselor's shoes. Feeling a strong yet gentle grip on her calf, Alex jumped and immediately opened her eyes. Seeing Olivia smile warmly up at her, Alex heart rate calmed down from her surprise only to skyrocket again at the realization that Olivia's hand was still on her calf.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. You just looked so comfortable. Well…you know…with the exception of these heels."

"'S'ok," was all Alex could manage to come up with as a response in her current state. After a few moments of forcing her brain to function she added "thanks".

"Sure. So what case are we working on?" Olivia asked as she handed Alex her wine glass. She took a sip of her own and situated herself next to Alex on the couch and peered at the papers Alex had previously laid out on the coffee table.

Regaining her composure by implementing all her years of charm school and debutante training, Alex began to rattle off facts and details of a case history to Olivia's well seasoned detective-ears.

* * *

9:00 pm.

After what seemed like hours, Alex and Olivia finally settled into a light dinner accompanied by light conversation. The two bottles of red wine aided greatly in inducing and maintaining their relaxed states. The caprese salad was polished off in no time considering both women greatly underestimated their appetites. Deciding it was well worth the calories Olivia greedily opened the box which contained the tiramisu Alex had brought.

"Come on Counselor. It's only a tiny dessert."

"A tiny decadent dessert loaded with calories, may I remind you Detective. Besides, I'm watching what I eat."

"Why in the world would you do that Alex? You've got a great figure!"

_She notices my figure? _Delighted at this little tidbit of information, Alex conceded. "Okay you win Olivia. I guess I'll just run an extra mile tomorrow morning."

"You don't need to run at all, but if that's what it takes to get you to enjoy this with me, then I'll do you one better. I'll run with you tomorrow."

"Liv, I'd hate for you to go all the way across town just to go jogging with me, only to have to come all the way back here and get ready for work. Really, it's not necessary."

"I'm not."

"You're not?" Alex asked, her face showing her confusion.

"Nope. You're staying here tonight," Olivia decreed.

"I am?" Alex asked, still seemingly confused, but secretly doing a happy dance in her head.

"Yep. By the time we finish dessert, it'll be nearly 11 and you've had too much to drink for me to entrust a cabbie to get you across town safely at this hour. Besides, we're supposed to get together for breakfast to go over my testimony right? So just stay here, we'll go jogging in the morning and then we'll go to breakfast."

"But Liv, I've got nothing to wear tomorrow." _Why am I fighting this? Just shut up and say ok!_

"I know I haven't got the caliber of power suits you possess Ms. Cabot, but I do have some presentable courtroom attire," Olivia chuckled.

"And what about jogging clothes?"

"I'm sure you could get into my pants Counselor."

_If only I could Detective _Alex thought, but instead she quirked and eyebrow deadpanned, "Care to amend that statement Detective?"

Olivia pretended to mull it over for a minute and happily replied, "Nope." Smiling widely, she joked, "Now let's eat so I can get you into bed. John's going to be so jealous when I tell him all about it tomorrow."

"Only if I'm there to see his reaction first hand."

"You've got yourself a deal Counselor."

Finishing of dessert in record time, the women cleaned up quickly and proceeded to get ready for bed.

"Had I known this would be a slumber party, I'd have brought my toothbrush and a movie or two."

"Why?" Olivia asked as she handed Alex a brand new toothbrush still in its packaging. "I'm prepared. See?" Olivia said pointing at the toothbrush. "And I've also got those copies of 'Legally Blonde' 1 and 2 and 'Miss Congeniality' 1 and 2 that you gave me."

"Good point," Alex said through a yawn which ended with a smile.

Finishing up their nightly routines, both women settled into bed together and bid the other a good night's rest. Soon, the sound of two delicate, but distinctly different, snores could be heard emanating from the room, though they'd both vehemently deny it under oath.


	4. Chapter 4

Glad you guys seems to be enjoying this. Thanks for reviewing. I hope you enjoy this next installment as well.

* * *

6:30 AM. Olivia's Bedroom.

Alex awoke at her usual hour without the aid of an alarm clock. Her internal alarm clock had been set permanently by years and years of routine. But something was different about this morning. She awoke feeling more relaxed and rested from her night's sleep than she had ever felt before. Slowly shedding her morning fog and rubbing her eyes to adjust to the light, she took in her surroundings. Olivia's bedroom was warm and cozy just like the rest of her apartment, but the candles that littered the room and the softness of the overstuffed comforter made the bedroom all that much more inviting. She noticed some pictures on the nightstand and a few more on the dresser. As her eyes scanned the room, they fell upon the figure still sleeping peacefully beside her. Olivia's hair was thoroughly mussed up from sleep, and her shirt had ridden up to bare her well-muscled torso. She was face down with her head turned toward Alex. Alex attempted to shift her weight slightly, and that's when it happened. Alex followed the contours of Olivia's body and noticed for the very first time, that Olivia had draped her arm over Alex's midsection sometime in the middle of the night. Reveling in the comfort and the warmth emanating from the strong and equally sexy limb, a small contented smile graced her lips as Alex thought to herself, _I could get used to this._ Not having the heart to wake Olivia from her restful slumber, Alex watched over her as she slept. Slowly, Olivia's eyelids began to flutter.

"Good morning sleepy head."

"Morning Lex. What time is it?" a groggy Olivia replied in a voice still thick with sleep.

"Almost 7. We should get up soon," Alex answered, dreading the fact that she soon had to leave her fantasy of domestic bliss with Olivia.

"Alright. I'm gonna go find us some clothes to jog in. Now go make me some coffee, woman!" Olivia jokingly ordered.

"Excuse me?" Alex feigned offense.

"You heard me. Why else do you think I keep you around if not only to ensure my coffee cup never runs low?"

"Hmm. We'll see about that."

They both left to warmth of the bed to complete their respective tasks. Once they each were changed and had a cup of coffee to tide them over, they were out the door headed toward the jogging park in Olivia's neighborhood.

When they were finally situated at the park and thoroughly warmed up, Alex playfully nudged Olivia with her shoulder.

"So about coffee cup filling duties. Whoever makes it to that bench and back first wins the privilege of having their cup filled for them for the rest of the week," Alex said while gesturing to a bench about a quarter mile away.

"Oh you are so on Cabot," Olivia replied, confident in her impending victory. But her smugness was short lived because no sooner than she had opened her mouth to reply, Alex was off and running. Once Olivia realized that a wave of blonde hair had just flown by her, she gave chase.

After about an hour, Alex and Olivia returned to Olivia's apartment to get cleaned up and ready for their day. Deciding to have breakfast at a neighborhood café that Olivia frequented, they were out the door and at the small restaurant by 8:15.

* * *

9:00 AM, SVU Squadroom.

Alex and Olivia strolled into the squadroom, laughing together. Saying her hello's to the male detectives, Alex claimed her perch on Olivia desk.

With a glint in her eye, Alex stated in an overly dramatic sing-song voice, "Olivia, I am feeling rather sluggish this morning. I think a cup of coffee would rectify the situation nicely."

Attempting to glare, but failing miserably and chuckling instead, Olivia replied, "Don't get up. Please, allow me," Olivia said with a slight bow.

"Two sugars, no cream," came the happy reply.

"You underestimate my memory and powers of observation Alex. I remember from this morning."

Munch directed a pointed look in Elliot's direction. "So Counselor, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company this fine Wednesday morning?" he questioned.

"Olivia and I were reviewing some things over breakfast and I thought I'd walk with her over here to say hello before heading on over to Petrovsky's chambers."

"You're working too early in the day, Counselor. I hope your night was more peaceful than your morning."

"As a matter of fact, John, it was rather nice except for the fact that Olivia kept stealing the covers and last night was a bit on the chilly side."

Detective Munch nearly spit out his coffee at that remark. He coughed to cover up his shock, but the normally verbose detective was left speechless.

"I warned you that what you were wearing wouldn't keep you warm enough!" Olivia called out in her own defense, though highly amused at the expression Munch was sporting.

At this exchange, Munch and Elliot were fighting, and failing, to keep the shock off their faces while Fin was grinning from ear to ear.

"I guess you've learned your lesson for next time huh?" Olivia said while handing Alex her cup of fresh coffee.

_Next time?_ Alex thought. "Indeed. Have a nice day Detectives. Call me if there's something I can assist you with,' she called out as she stood to make her exit.

Olivia directed a smile and a wink at Alex and sat down to get to work.

Alex managed to wink back thinking _If only she knew what she does to me._

Munch cleared his throat and the rest of the detectives returned to their paperwork as the sound of Alex's heels faded into the background noise.

* * *

12:00pm.

Olivia was having lunch with the Captain and Huang in the Captain's office. This left the 3 remaining detectives to their own devices. Going across the street to a deli for lunch, John, Elliot, and Fin were once again debating the evidence of an alleged romance between the sweetheart of the NYPD and the goldengirl of the DA's office.

"It's as plain as the nose on your face El. They did everything except for say straight out that they slept together last night," Munch asserted.

"John, all that proves is that they slept _next _to each other last night," Elliot said.

"Well didya happen to notice that shirt Alex was wearin', Man?" Fin asked. "Liv was wearin' that same shirt last Friday for her court appearance," Fin said, answering his own question.

"And the coffee thing. How do you explain that, Elliot?" Munch asked.

"And don't even try to play dumb and say you didn't see'em winkin' at each other."

"So maybe you guys are right about those things, but a lot of your 'evidence' is still speculation, not fact," Elliot said, grasping at straws.

"We're Detectives. We're trained to draw conclusions from observation, but I won't dismiss you're argument. Let me borrow your notepad Elliot. We're going to make a list of the evidence."


	5. Chapter 5

Thursday, 11:00 AM, Alex's Office.

"Alexandra, I'd like to see you in my office before the end of the day," Elizabeth Donnelly called out from the doorway of Alex's office.

"I'll be in court until 3. Is 4 o'clock alright with you?" Alex replied,

"That'll be fine. I'll see you then."

Alex contemplated the possibilities. _What could Liz want to see me about? I know I haven't been 100 lately, but it's not as if my work has been suffereing._ The phone rang and Alex answered with curt professionalism. "Alexandra Cabot."

"Hey Lex. It's me. I have a favor to ask you."

"Oh hey Liv. What is it? You need a search warrant?"

"No. It's a personal favor."

"Oh? I'm intrigued. What can I do for you?"

"Well, at lunch yesterday, I had my weekly update with Huang and the Captain was there. They both _strongly suggested_ I go away for the weekend. You know? To get away from the city."

"Meaning Don gave you a direct order to leave for be subject to desk duty next week," Alex chuckled on her end of the line.

"Exactly," Olivia stated.

"Well I think they're right. But I don't see where I come in."

"You see, I was thinking of where I could possibly go, and Huang and Cragen both suggested that where ever I go, I don't go alone. They think I'll take work with me," Olivia confessed.

"I see. So they want me to babysit you?" Alex asked, slightly disappointed that Olivia wasn't spending time with her of her own volition.

"Not exactly. It was my idea. I figured a girl's night out with my best friend tomorrow night, my treat, and then we head up to your family's cabin."

Alex perked up immediately. Olivia did choose this of her own free will. _An entire weekend with Olivia? Alone? Someone is smiling down on you, Alexandra Cabot. _"That sounds like a great idea, Liv! I've been meaning to get away. The last few weeks have made me question my sanity."

"I know," Olivia chuckled, "that's why I thought you could use a getaway just as much as I could. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Okay. I'll make some phone calls to ensure that the cabin is ready for us. What are we doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing big. Dinner and drinks and maybe a movie. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds great. Bye Liv."

"Bye Lex."

Alex let her mind wander. The last couple cases she had been faced with had drained her mentally, physically and emotionally; this weekend getaway with Olivia would definitely serve to recharge her. Swept up in her happy thoughts, she barely noticed that she had to appear in court in 15 minutes.

* * *

After a long day in court successfully destroying the credibility of the defenses star witness, Alex made her way back to her office. Putting down her attaché and settling in at her desk, she noticed she had a few messages. One from her long time friend Serena Southerlyn, and one from Olivia. She'd have to wait to return Serena's call. Knowing her friend as well as she did, she'd have to free up at least and hour to let Serena rattle on about this and that. The call from Olivia intrigued her however. She decided she had a minute before her meeting with Donnelly to call the woman who had been plaguing her thoughts. Olivia answered before the second ring ended.

"Benson. Special Victims."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of two calls in one day, Detective?"

"Well Counselor, I hear congratulations are in order. Word's getting around that you not only won your case today, but that you actually got a smile and a compliment out of Petrovsky."

"Well I wouldn't call 'Maybe the DA's office is teaching you something after all' a compliment, but thanks Liv."

"The guys and I were wondering if we could all by you a drink. What d'ya say Counselor. Mind slumming it with us lowly cops."

"I'd hardly call you and the rest of the squad 'lowly', Detective, but I've got a meeting with Liz in 20 and a pile of paperwork I've got to get through if I want to be able to escape the city this weekend. I imagine I've got a long night ahead of me. But thank the guys for me and tell them I'll swing by if I can. You'll be at the usual place I take it?"

"What can I say? We don't like change too much. Heh. I'll let the guys know. Don't work too hard, Counselor."

"Bye Liv. Have fun."

Noticing it was nearly 4, Alex made her way to Liz's office.

* * *

6:00 pm. Mahoney's.

"So Liv, why'd Cabot give us the cold shoulder?" Munch queried.

"She had a meeting and paperwork to take care of before this weekend," Olivia responded.

"Why? What's this weekend?" Munch prodded.

"Alex and I are going up to her family's cabin for the weekend."

"Interesting," Munch stated with and exxagerrated drawl and a look at Elliot over the top of his dark glasses. "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall," he said to Olivia.

"Whatever John. She said she'd drop by if she finished up early enough," Olivia said before taking a long swig of her beer. "Fin, can I interest you in a game of pool?"

"Your on, Baby. Lead the way," he replied in his usual laid back manner.

"Another thing to add to the list Elliot," Munch whispered. "A weekend getaway for our little lovebirds."

Elliot drank from his beer but said nothing.

The evening continued in much the same manner. The pitchers kept coming and several games of pool were played. At 9, Elliot announced that he had to get home to the Mrs., which left Olivia, Fin, and Munch to taunt him about his ball and chain. They gave him a hard time, but he knew they were happy for him. What he didn't know was that they were all a little envious that he had someone to go home to at night. At around eleven, the rest of the gang headed to their respective homes.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm so glad that my regular readers are enjoying this. Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is dedicated to Raheema and forgotten-serenity.

* * *

Friday. 9:00 AM. 

The weekend was only a day away and Alex was excited to say the least. Yesterday, Olivia had informed her of a lunch meeting she had on Wednesday. Captain Cragen and Dr. Huang both recommended that Olivia go away for the weekend, and so Olivia had called to ask if she could use the Cabot Cabin and if Alex would be free to join her. Alex happily acquiesced to Olivia's request. Spending an entire weekend with Olivia was something Alex found highly appealing. _Now if only the work day would be over so I Olivia and I could be on our way to the cabin_ Alex thought as she impatiently tapped her pen on her desk. Thinking of what they'd do with all their free time, Alex began to feel a bit of apprehension at how Olivia would respond to the news she had gotten from Liz yesterday. Just then, there was a knock on her door. Gathering herself and putting on her professional ADA mask, Alex called out, "Yes, come in."

"Hey Cabot. Been ignoring me?" Serena smiled from the doorway as she let herself in.

"No, of course not. I'm sorry I hadn't returned your call. I was swamped yesterday and had a meeting with Donnelly."

"It's alright. I think Liz works you twice as hard as Jack and Arthur work me. I was just wondering if you wanted to check out that new girl bar with me tonight. We could do the twin thing and pick up some hot little numbers," Serena said as she took a seat in front of Alex's desk.

"Serena, we haven't done that since college. There's no way I'm doing that now. Besides, I'm not looking at the moment."

"Oh. Still pining away I see. Lexie, you've seriously got to stop falling for straight girls. They've brought you nothing but heartache."

"I'm not pining for anyone. I'm just…you know…concentrating on my career."

"Ri-i-ight. And I'm having an affair with McCoy," Serena drawled sarcastically.

"Really, I'm not pining. I swear."

"I find a hard time believing that, Cabot."

"Well believe it, Southerlyn. There are some things – hold on just a second," Alex said as she was interrupted by her phone ringing. "ADA Cabot."

"Hey Alex. We still on for tonight?" Olivia asked from her end of the line.

"Yes, of course."

"Great. I'll be at your office at 5. Think about what you want for dinner, 'cause I'm picking the bar. See you later, Lex."

"Bye," said a smiling as Alex as she hung up the phone.

"Who, may I ask, was that?" Serena questioned at the grin Alex was failing to suppress.

"Just one of my detectives," Alex replied innocently.

"One of your detectives managed to put a thousand watt smile on your face?"

"Please Serena. Olivia is just a friend."

"A-HA! Olivia huh? So what's the story behind this Olivia?" Serena exclaimed happily.

"Put a cork in it Serena. You're not getting anything out of me," Alex answered definitively.

"Fine. Have it your way Cabot. But you know I'll find out on my own anyway," Serena said while getting up. "I've got to get back to my office, but I'll swing by later for lunch. Ok?"

"Sure. See you then, Serena."

* * *

11:00 AM. SVU Squadroom. 

Elliot and Olivia were hard at work at their desk while Fin and Munch were out trying to collar a suspect.

"Hey El, can I see your notes from the interview with our suspect in the Miller case?"

Not thinking about what else was on the notepad, Elliot handed it across his desk towards Olivia. "Sure thing, Liv."

"Thanks." Olivia was flipping through the pages looking for the information she needed when a name caught her eye. _Why does Elliot have notes in here about Alex?_ Flipping to the next page, Olivia saw her own name scribbled up near the top. _What's going on here?_ Maintaining her professional façade, Olivia read through the notes about her and Alex quickly and then moved onto the notes on the Miller case. Passing the notepad back to Elliot as if nothing was out of the ordinary, Olivia's brain began to put together the pieces of the puzzle. She scribbled down some things she remembered reading off of Elliot's notepad and set them aside. She continued to work in silence until the lunch hour approached. Picking up her leather jacket, Olivia told Elliot and the Captain she was headed out and she'd be back in an hour.

Heading to a deli midway between the precinct and the courthouse, Olivia's thoughts were brought back to the strange notes she saw in Elliot's notepad. After being seated upon arrival at the small restaurant, Olivia pulled out the notes she had jotted down and proceeded to review them as she waited for a waitress to take her order. There seemed to be no connection between the words she had seen. 'Coffee, desk, shirt, smile, wink, lunch, weekend, Alex and Liv' were the words she had managed to pick out. Now if only she could make sense of them.

Engrossed in her work, she didn't notice as two blond-haired blue-eyed ADAs entered the deli and were seated two booths behind her.

"And Donnelly just dropped this bomb on you out of no where?" Serena asked incredulously.

"Yep. I was speechless," Alex replied as she sat down.

"Wow, that's a first," Serena chuckled. "I'm sure it'll all work out."

"I just hope my squad doesn't have too much of a problem with it. So tell me what's been going on with you Serena."

"Well, I think I have to tell McCoy I'm a lesbian. He won't stop hitting on me. I figured it's the only way," Serena said in a half whining tone.

"I guess I can't blame him though. He's never struck out with one of his deputies before. And besides, you're gorgeous," Alex stated the obvious.

"Are you hitting on me Alex?" Serena joked.

"Oh please. You know you're not my type. And besides, we're too much alike. It'd be creepy."

"I know, I know. I was just teasing. Your type is tall, dark, and gorgeous. And not to mention straight," Serena continued her relentless teasing. "So this Olivia woman. Is she single?" Serena chuckled.

Playfully glaring at Serena, Alex was interrupted before she had a chance to answer. "Alex? Hey, I thought I recognized your voice."

"Olivia! Hi! What are you doing here?" Alex questioned nervously while pleading with her eyes for Serena not to embarrass her.

"Just having lunch and reviewing some notes." Turning to Serena, Olivia said as she offered her hand to shake, "Hi. I'm Detective Olivia Benson. I work with Alex. And you are?"

"Hello Detective. It's a pleasure. Alex has told me so much about you – and your squad," she added when Alex kicked her under the table. "I'm ADA Serena Southerlyn. Alex and I went to school together."

"Please, call me Olivia. It's nice to meet you. I'll let you ladies get back to whatever you were doing. I just wanted to say hello." Turning to address Alex, Olivia said, "Lex, I'll see you later."

"Later huh?" Serena whispered.

"Drop it Southerlyn," Alex bit back.

"Okay, okay." As Olivia walked away, Serena couldn't help but look her over from head to toe. Returning her gaze to Alex, she discovered two icy blue eyes glaring at her. "What?" she asked innocently. "You've got good taste, but she's not my type. I was just calibrating my gaydar."

"So what's the verdict?"

"I think your detective friend broke my gaydar. I've got no clue. Sorry."

"Big help you are Southerlyn."

Enjoying the rest of their lunch hour, Alex and Serena caught up on each others lives and enjoyed each others company. They fell into an ease that came with their years and years of friendship.

Olivia on the other hand had put all her detective skills to work and was fairly certain she had ascertained what Elliot's notes meant. The conclusion she came to gave her equal amounts confusion and amusement.


	7. Chapter 7

4:45 pm. Alex's office.

Waiting for Olivia to arrive at her office, Alex was thinking back on her lunch with Serena.

_flashback_

"_Alex, just ask her. The worst that'll happen is that she'll tell you she's straight. Best case scenario, she's gay and interested. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, Sweetheart."_

"_Serena, it's not that simple. She considers me her best friend. The only other person to have that honor is Elliot and they've been partners for years. I don't want to lose what we've got."_

"_Even if it means never knowing? Even if it means having your heart break just a little more every time you see her? Even if - "_

"_I don't know Serena. It hurts not having her, but it would hurt a whole lot more not having her at all, right?"_

"_Sweetie, remember what happened between me and Abbie? We were friends first. We dated and broke up and that didn't end badly. We're better friends now than we ever were before. Things work out. Trust me. You've just got to be honest."_

"_I guess I'll just have to wait and see how things go this weekend."_

_end flashback  
_

_Knock knock_

"Come in."

"Hey Lex. You ready to go?"

"Hey Liv. Yea. Just let me grab my files."

"Allow me," Olivia replied swinging Alex's attaché onto her strong shoulder.

"Thank you," Alex blushed. _She's so chivalrous._ "I'll just lock up and we can head to dinner. What do you think of _La Bella Terra_ for dinner?" Alex asked as she locked the door to her office.

"I'd say lead the way, Counselor. I've been in the mood for Italian," Olivia said placing her hand on the small of Alex's back to guide her out of the building.

The small action, unbeknownst to Olivia, caused waves of heat to travel through Alex's body. The women opted to take a cab to the restaurant because it was too chilly to walk. They made idle chit-chat, but the entire cab ride, Alex was debating what subject of conversation of broach first, and Olivia was wondering why the usually talkative lawyer was at such a loss for words. Approaching the restaurant, Olivia paid the driver and got out. As she shouldered the attaché again, she offered a hand to help Alex out of the cab. When they were situated on the sidewalk, Olivia let go of Alex's hand and Alex sighed slightly at the loss of contact. Entering the restaurant, Alex was instantly recognized by the maitre'd and they were seated immediately.

"I take it you come here a lot," Olivia chuckled as she accepted her menu from the waiter.

"I've been here a time a two before," Alex confessed, smiling shyly.

"What's good here?"

"My personal favorites are the lobster ravioli in garlic cream sauce and the chicken and mushroom fettuccini alfredo. You've already had their caprese salad and tiramisu. This is where the take out came from the other night."

"That sounds good," Olivia said, putting down her menu.

"Which one?" Alex asked.

"All of them," Olivia stated.

"Yes, but which one are you getting?" Alex elaborated.

"All of them," Olivia repeated amusedly.

"Olivia…" Alex started but was silenced when Olivia raised a hand in protest.

"Hear me out Alex. What if we start with the salad to share, then we each get one of the entrées and split them, and we get the tiramisu for dessert?" Olivia said with a slight hint of pleading.

Not being able to deny Olivia anything, Alex said, "That sounds wonderful, Liv."

After ordering their food and a complimentary wine at the waiter's suggestion, the two women settled into a comfortable conversation.

"So your friend Serena seems nice. Do you two get together often?"

"She's a great person. We don't get to see each other as much as we used to, but we get together as much as we can to catch up, or when ever one of us needs to talk."

"I see. So which was it today? Just catching up for something more serious?"

Alex fidgeted for a split second but then decided on a half truth. "We caught up a bit and we talked about work. We discussed my meeting with Liz yesterday."

"Oh yeah. I forgot to ask about that. How'd it go?"

"It was…interesting," Alex said, beating around the bush.

"What do you mean?" Olivia questioned patiently.

"Well, it seems Liz noticed my performance on my cases as of late. She saw fit to discuss some matters with me."

"What matters?" Olivia pressed on, hoping her friends would get to the point, but not wanting to push.

"Liz seems to think I've been stressed and…" Alex paused, thinking of the best way to phrase this next bit of information.

"And?" Olivia said, hoping to guide Alex back into the conversation.

"As it turns out, the special victims unit is getting a new ADA," Alex finally confessed.

"What?!?" Several heads shot up in shock at Olivia's sudden outburst. Quieting down significantly, Olivia asked, "Liz is firing you? Is she crazy? The conviction rate for SVU has never been higher. The squad has never worked more efficiently. Cragen will have a fit and a few choice words for Liz, I'm sure. And I – "

"LIV! Calm down! Liz didn't fire me," Alex blurted out. It warmed her to the core knowing how concerned Olivia was and how quick she was to defend her.

"She didn't? But you just said…" replied a very confused detective.

"Yes," Alex interjected. "SVU is getting a new ADA, but I get to stay on as the Executive ADA. In short, I'm getting a deputy – a second chair. Liz noticed I was stressed but that my job performance wasn't slipping. She wanted to ensure I wasn't so stressed I'd quit. This is a promotion of sorts. It's not the big chair, but it's a step in the right direction," Alex explained quickly, hoping to calm Olivia's nerves.

"Alex, that's great. Looks like our girls night out is turning into a celebration. Do you get to choose your second chair?"

"No, but I am quite pleased with Liz's choice. Actually, she's an ADA whose been promoted from white collar. Her name's Casey Novak. I know her reputation and we've met at several office functions and fundraising events. She's a fantastic legal mind and I look forward to working with her."

"That's great, Lex. When do we get to meet her?"

"Tuesday morning. I'm going to bring her by the squadroom. We've got a meeting with Don at 9:30, and around 10, I'll make formal introductions to the rest of the squad."

"I look forward to meeting someone you speak so highly of."

"Hopefully I can get her up to speed on Monday. But otherwise, everything should work out smoothly," Alex replied with a bit of anxiety.

"I'm sure it will," Olivia replied confidently.

Finishing their meal, the two women caught a cab to Alex's apartment.

"Olivia, I thought we were going out for drinks," a very confused Alex Cabot stated.

"We are. I just figured you could get your stuff together and we'd drop it off at my place before heading to the lounge, since only a block from my place."

"Oh. Alright," Alex replied calmly, though she was ecstatic at the idea of another night in Olivia's bed, and hopefully her arms.

"I thought that way it'd be easier for us to just leave from my place to go to the cabin tomorrow morning," Olivia explained unnecessarily.

"Good thinking, Liv."

Alex got her bags packed and the women caught another cab over to Olivia's place. Once Alex's things were situated by the doorway inside Olivia's apartment, Olivia's bags were placed next to them for easy access. Satisfied that they could make a quick getaway tomorrow morning, Olivia opened the door and motioned for Alex to walk ahead of her. Locking the door behind them, Olivia once again guided Alex by placing a hand on the small of her back.

Making their way down the block, Olivia's mind was brought back to Elliot's notepad theory. Alex linked her arms through Olivia's as they walked down the city sidewalk and Olivia had to smile at what Elliot might say to this subtle action.

Trying their best to shield themselves from the cold as they walked, they entered a low key lounge which Olivia frequented. The lounge was dimly lit, and it had a very laid back atmosphere. There was eclectic artwork hanging on every wall and inspirational quotes painted on the furniture and ceiling. Over the doorway, there was a plaque declaring the small club's stance on community; 'We, of the Elysian Lounge, welcome all. This establishment will hereby be known as a safe-space for the out-casted and disenfranchised. Regardless of color, creed, age, or identity, we are all family here.' Alex smile brightened as she read this. She felt a hope that she had previously not allowed herself to feel.

"Liv! Long time no see," declared the woman behind the bar. She was about 35 with cropped dirty-blonde hair. She had a warm smile and disarming green eyes.

"Hey Jo. Sorry. I've been busy for the past few weeks," Olivia apologized sheepishly.

"It's alright, Sweetie. I'm just glad to see you back. Whose your friend?" Jo asked, curiously eyeing Alex.

_Sweetie? Who is this woman and why is she calling Olivia sweetie? _Thought Alex as she felt her temperature rise.

"Easy there, Jo. This is Alexandra Cabot. Remember? I told you about her. Alex this is Josephine Stone. Jo's like an overbearing, overprotective, annoying sister to me," Olivia introduced with a chuckle.

_Olivia told her about me? I wonder what she said. _"Pleased to meet you Josephine," Alex said as she released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Alex smiled and extended her hand.

Shaking the proffered hand, the bartender replied, "Please call me Jo. Any friend of Liv's is a friend of mine. Besides, we're all family here. If Liv thought to bring you here, then you're alright in my book."

"Thanks, Jo," Alex replied. _Well at least I know Liv's 'sister' approves,_ Alex thought with a chuckle.

"So how're you and Kate doing?" Olivia asked her surrogate sister.

"The long distance thing is a little rough, but we're managing," Jo answered with a half smile half frown.

"Good. You deserve to be happy, Jo. Give her my best would you?"

"Sure." Jo turned and indicated towards a table in the corner. "Liv, your usual table is ready."

"Thanks, Jo."

"Yes, thank you for being so hospitable, Jo," Alex added.

"You're welcome here anytime Alex. With or without Liv," Jo stated with a warm smile.

Settling into her corner, Olivia ordered her usual and waited for Alex to order her drink. The night continued in very much the same manner that their entire evening had. Alex was contented in knowing that even if Olivia was straight, she wouldn't shun her for being a lesbian. Olivia was glad to see that Alex had integrated herself easily into a place Olivia considered a third home, her second home being the station house, of course. Conversing easily, sharing stories and laughs, the women simply relaxed and enjoyed the evening and the company.


	8. Chapter 8

Saturday. 6:00 AM.

Alex woke up as she felt the weight in the bed shift. Olivia was getting up. Alex struggled to open one eye but found that her eye lids were in no mood to cooperate. She resigned herself to 5 more minutes of sleep. Curling her body towards the warmth on the bed where Olivia's body had previously resigned, Alex inhaled deeply and let Olivia's presence engulf her. Hearing the shower start a few minutes later, Alex got up and padded toward the kitchen to make some coffee.

She made some toast and poured two glasses of juice. Hearing the water of the shower turn off Alex poured two mugs of coffee. Carrying a tray of coffee, toast, and juice into Olivia's bedroom Alex's heart nearly stopped at the sight before her. Olivia had emerged from her shower and was now standing there in nothing but a towel.

Sensing a presence behind her, Olivia turned her head. Spotting the tray in Alex's hands, Olivia smiled and thanked Alex. Blushing furiously, Alex turned and set the tray down on the nightstand next to Olivia's side of the bed. Olivia returned to her task at hand and proceeded to get dressed. Alex counted to ten to steady her heart rate before turning back around to face Olivia. Smiling as she buttoned up her shirt, Olivia asked, "Did you sleep okay, Alex?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Great. Thanks." _Good job. Way to sound like a caveman Cabot. Know any more monosyllabic words?_ Alex mentally chided herself.

"Good. I'm glad. You'll need your energy. We've got a big day ahead of us. If we can leave the city by 7:30, we should get to your family's cabin by 10," Olivia continued, unaware of Alex's altered mental state.

"Okay," Alex replied, still unable to form complete and coherent sentences.

"Why don't we sit down and eat for a minute and then you can take a shower while I load up the car," Olivia offered as a course of action.

"Sounds good," Alex replied. _Wow Cabot. Two whole words this time. Impressive._

They ate quickly while Olivia reviewed the itinerary for their trip. They were scheduled to return late Sunday night, so Olivia wanted to make the most of their time.

As planned, Alex took her turn in the shower and while Olivia proceeded to load up the car Alex had sent for them from the Cabot compound. It was a fully loaded, Limited Edition Range Rover.

Taking her time in the shower, Alex began to worry. _Maybe this weekend wasn't such a great idea. I'm barely able to function right now, how am I going to handle and entire weekend?_ Dismissing her pessimistic thoughts, Alex forced herself to think of what Serena had said to her the day before. _"You've got everything to gain, Alex."_ Emerging from her shower with a clear mind, Alex dressed quickly. Entering Olivia's bedroom, Alex saw Olivia sitting on the bed playing with the car keys.

"Ready to go?" Olivia asked with a smile.

"All set," Alex replied happily.

"Great. Is there a mini mart or something near the cabin or should we hit the bodega on the corner before we hit the road?"

"Let's get some things at the bodega to snack on, but there is an open air market and a general store a couple miles from the cabin," Alex replied after a moment of thought.

"Good thinking, Lex. Shall we?" Olivia motioned gallantly toward the door for Alex walk in front of her.

Alex smiled at the display and proceeded to walk out of the bedroom and the apartment.

As they approached the car, it was decided that Olivia would drive after she had said, "I've never gotten the chance to drive a car this swanky before." Olivia opened the door for Alex to get into the passenger's side.

"Thank you, Olivia, but you didn't have to do that. I'm fully capable of opening my own door," Alex blushed.

"I never thought you were incapable, I'm just trying to be nice. I should be the one thanking you, Alex," Olivia shrugged.

"What for?" Alex asked as she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"For letting me use the cabin. You didn't have to. So…thank you," Olivia said gratefully.

"You're more than welcome, Olivia. Thank _you_ for inviting me along."

Both women smiled warmly at each other as Olivia pulled the car over and parked near the bodega. Wandering up and down the aisle, Alex picked out some things she knew Olivia would enjoy. They reconvened at the register a few minutes later. At Alex's insistence, she paid for the items. Olivia carried the bag and held the door for Alex as they exited. They loaded back into the car and made their way to the interstate.

* * *

11:30 am. The Cabot Cabin. 

"We're finally here!" Olivia exclaimed. "I've never seen traffic that bad before."

"Neither have I, but once we got out of the city, it was pretty much open road," Alex replied.

Olivia clapped her hands together in front of her and suggested that they unpack the car. Once that was done, Alex gave Olivia the grand tour. Alex had chosen to reserve this cabin from the many at her disposal specifically for its layout. It was a two story cabin with a bathroom on each floor. The bottom floor consisted of an enormous kitchen, dining room, and living area equipped with a fireplace. But the most important detail of the cabin was that it had only _one_, albeit enormous, bedroom. After viewing the cabin Olivia said, "Come on, Lex. Let's go for a walk. I need to stretch my legs out after sitting in a car for that long."

"Me too, Liv. But let's not go for too long. We still need to head to the open air market to pick up things for dinner and they close up shop at 2."

"Okay. What do you want for dinner anyway?" Olivia asked as they made their way towards a path that led into the woods.

"Why don't we see what's fresh at the market before we decide?" Alex suggested.

"Sure."

Meandering for about an hour, Alex and Olivia decided to head back to the cabin and drive over to the market. Eyeing the selection, Olivia called out, "Hey, Lex! Do you like salmon?"

"As a matter of fact, it's a personal favorite. Why?" Alex asked, walking quickly to catch up with Olivia.

"Good, 'cause I'm making you salmon for dinner. It's my own recipe. I developed it years ago."

"I didn't know you were such an avid cook, Liv," Alex responded in disbelief.

"Try not to look so shocked. I learned to fend for myself growing up. Cooking for myself was a necessity that grew into a hobby."

"Okay. Well then I insist on making the side dishes."

"Alexandra Cabot, you'll do no such thing! Let me make you dinner to thank you. Please?" Olivia pleaded.

"Quit pouting, Liv. That's not fair. You know I always give in," Alex pleaded right back.

"I know," Olivia said victoriously.

"Ugh. What am I going to do with you?" Alex said as she threw up her hands as a sign of defeat. When she realized what she had just said, her mind began to wander to all the things she wanted to do with Olivia, and she blushed.

Fortunately for Alex, Olivia didn't notice the blush. She just smiled at Alex and proceeded to pick out two cuts of salmon. Olivia also bought some green beans to sauté as a side dish and some rice to make her version of rice pilaf.

They made their way back to the cabin. After unloading the groceries and noticing the time, both women decided to go for a swim in the lake.

"Alex, this place is gorgeous," Olivia gushed.

"Yes it is. I used to love coming to Cabot Lake as a kid," Alex replied as she tried to look every except at Olivia. She knew the second she did, she'd be lost in the expanse of gorgeous bare skin that Olivia's swimsuit afforded.

"Cabot Lake? I knew your family owned the cabin, but the lake too?" Olivia asked, astonished at how badly she had underestimated her friend's wealth.

"Oh. Yeah," Alex chuckled and blushed at the same time. "It's an embarrassment of riches, literally."

"Wow Cabot. So this lawyer thing is just a hobby, huh? It's not like you need to work for a living right?"

"Olivia, this 'lawyer thing' is a passion," Alex replied with conviction. "But you're right. I don't need to work for a living," she conceded with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"Geez, Lex. You're just full of surprises aren't you?"

Significantly less tense now that they were submerged, Alex replied cheekily, "You have no idea."

Laughing at that remark, Olivia splashed water in Alex's direction. The burst of cold made Alex gasp. Hearing Olivia laughing at her expense, Alex abandoned her nerves completely and lunged at the brunette. Giggling and wrestling in the water, Alex and Olivia enjoyed the rest of their playful afternoon. Alex's previous nervousness was now nonexistent. Once she relaxed, it was easy to just have a good time with a very dear friend and not worry about anything else.

When a cold wind began to blow, they decided it was time to get out of the water and into the warm cabin. By then, it was already nearly 4 o'clock. Olivia immediately built a fire and both women wrapped themselves in towels as they sat in front of it. Once they were warm and significantly drier, Olivia suggested that Alex take a relaxing bath upstairs.

"What are you going to do in the meanwhile?"

"I need to do some prep work and marinating before I actually get dinner started," Olivia answered.

"Oh. Okay then. See you in a bit."

'A bit' turned out to be over an hour. In the time it took Alex to bathe, Olivia had prepped the vegetables, located all the required spices, marinated the salmon, taken a shower in the downstairs bathroom, and fallen into a light slumber on the couch in the living room.


	9. Chapter 9

5:45 pm. The Cabot Cabin.

Bounding down the stairs, Alex saw Olivia resting peacefully on the couch. _She's looks so innocent...like an angel. My God she's gorgeous, _Alex though. Not having the heart to wake her, Alex retrieved a blanket from the linen closet and covered Olivia with it. Retrieving a novel from the nearby bookcase, Alex settled into the overstuffed easy chair by the couch and read while Olivia napped. She didn't get far in her novel, however. Olivia began to stir less than 15 minutes later.

Opening her eyes, Olivia looked directly at Alex and asked, "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I figured it was only fair," Alex replied. At the quirk of Olivia's eyebrow, Alex realized that she needed to elaborate. "I fell asleep in the tub," she confessed sheepishly.

"Ah, I see," Olivia said as it dawned on her, "No wonder it took you so long."

"Sorry."

"No problem. What time do you want dinner, Lex?"

"Soon. I'm getting pretty hungry. Breakfast was light and lunch consisted of samples at the open air market."

"Alright. I'll go get it started." Checking her watch and seeing that it was nearly 6, Olivia informed Alex that dinner would be ready at about 6:30.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Alex asked.

"Nope. Why don't you just read and I'll come get you when it's ready," Olivia suggested.

"You're spoiling me, Liv," Alex smiled happily.

"No more than you spoil me, Lex," Olivia chuckled as she made her way to the kitchen.

Alex couldn't help but admire Olivia's form as she walked away. _She doesn't even realize how amazing she really is,_ Alex mused. She had never before met anyone so beautiful inside and out. Though she hoped that one day, they may be more than friends, Alex silently thanked the powers that be for the mere presence of this wonderful woman in her life.

* * *

6:20 pm. 

The smell emanating from the kitchen summoned Alex before Olivia even had the chance to go get her. Olivia was setting the table when she saw Alex make her way into the kitchen. Alex inhaled deeply and licked her lips.

"Eager much?" Olivia joked.

_You have no idea,_ Alex thought. "It smells so good, Liv. You know me. I just had to come and investigate."

"Well since you're here, why don't you choose the wine," Olivia suggested.

"Sure. What are we having?"

"Baked salmon, citrus sautéed green beans, and my special rice pilaf."

"Wow, Liv. That sounds incredible. I think a bottle of Pinot Grigio circa 1992 would compliment it well. But a White Zinfandel would work too. Ooh, or maybe a Blush. What do you think, Liv?"

"I think you should pick a wine already," Olivia snickered.

"Fine. Spoil sport," Alex chuckled, pretending to pout.

After retrieving the bottle of wine, Alex set in on the table top and went back to the kitchen in search of the corkscrew. Upon her return, she saw Olivia pouring two glasses of wine.

"How did…" Alex started to ask.

Olivia pulled out her Swiss Army knife, equipped with corkscrew, "I always carry a pocket knife with me. And since we were going to the great outdoors, I brought the multi tool. Who knew it'd come in handy during dinner?"

"Always prepared," Alex smiled.

"Exactly. Now let's eat. I'm starving!"

Alex took one bite of the salmon that Olivia had prepared and let out a hedonistic moan. "Oh my God, Liv! That's incredible."

Olivia smirked at her friend and said, "Who knew it'd be so easy to make you moan?"

Alex choked on the bite she just took. Swallowing a huge gulp of wine she blushed furiously and shook her head slightly while staring at her plate and fidgeting.

Olivia could not contain her laughter, which made Alex even more uncomfortable. Alex looked up at Olivia with a quizzical expression. _Is she laughing **at** me? Did she figure me out? Is she mocking me?_ Alex's mind immediately went to the worst case scenario. She didn't respond well to being mocked. She had already been debating if and when to come out to Olivia. This turn of events made her go on the defensive.

"Relax Alex," Olivia said when she saw Alex visibly tense up. "I'm sorry, ok? I was just kidding. I didn't mean to offend you. Seriously. I was only joking," Olivia finally said through spurts of laughter.

"It's okay, Liv. You just surprised me is all," Alex replied in a surprisingly calm voice. It was hard for her to be angry with Olivia. She wasn't angry. Not really. She just hated being the butt of a joke. She'd never admit it, but it hurt her feelings. It made her feel vulnerable. She hated feeling vulnerable.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Positive?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Olivia!" Alex yelled, shaking her head at her friend's silly attempt to lighten the mood.

"Wow. Now I've got you screaming my name," Olivia teased again.

Alex looked at Olivia with an expression that was a mix of shock and embarrassment. She opened her mouth to attempt a response but came up with nothing so she closed her mouth. A few seconds later, she did it again.

"Wow Cabot. You do a great impression of a gold fish," Olivia continued her teasing.

Glaring at Olivia for a moment, Alex returned her attention to her meal. She was mortified, but she was still a Cabot, so she did what she could to save face. She gave Olivia the cold shoulder.

Sensing her friend's drastic change in mood, Olivia realized she had crossed a line. She attempted to strike up a neutral conversation. "So, are you getting a new office with this promotion of yours?" A slight nod was all Olivia got out of Alex.

Trying again, Olivia asked, "Is the new ADA taking your old office?"

No response came. "Lex?" Olivia queried after a moment.

"Detective."

_Ouch_, Olivia thought. "Is ADA Novak getting your old office?" Olivia repeated hopefully.

A simple 'yes' came a second later after Alex had swallowed.

"So where is your new office?"

"Across the hall," Alex replied politely, but still in an indifferent tone.

"Okay. Good. At least now I know where to send the 'I'm sorry' flowers and the 'Congratulations' flowers," Olivia said while pushing her food around on her plate.

Alex heard genuine remorse in Olivia's voice. Glancing up, she saw her slouched and saddened posture. Deciding Olivia was pitiful enough, Alex replied, "That won't be necessary, Liv."

Olivia looked up at Alex with hopeful eyes and her shoulder visibly relaxed at Alex's use of her nickname.

Alex finally made eye contact with Olivia and her heart melted. She offered the detective a small smile.

Olivia in turn smiled her thousand watt smile right back. She then offered a genuine and heartfelt apology which Alex quickly accepted.

The tension finally passing, the women enjoyed the rest of their food. Alex paid Olivia many compliments on her skills as a chef. Olivia blushed and said that she was glad that Alex enjoyed the meal.

Finishing off her dinner and noting that Olivia was done with hers as well, Alex announced, "Time for dessert! Come on!" Alex said, grabbing Olivia's hand and pulling her into the living room.

Earlier, while Olivia was making dinner, Alex had retrieved some of the items she had purchased earlier at the bodega. Entering the living room, Olivia saw what Alex had done. The fire was roaring and out in front of it there was a blanket laid out. On top of the blanket, Alex had placed a box of graham crackers, a bag of jumbo marshmallows, a half a dozen chocolate bars, and a couple skewers. Olivia's eyes grew as big as saucers. "S'mores?" she said in a childlike voice.

"Not just any s'mores, Liv. These," Alex announced proudly, "are dark chocolate s'mores."

"My favorite! Thank you. Thank you so much, Lex," Olivia replied genuinely touched.

"No need to thank me, Liv. I know this is your comfort food of choice, so I figured what better thing to eat on your weekend getaway."

"_Our_ weekend getaway," Olivia corrected.

"Right," Alex smiled. "Now come and show me how Chef Benson makes a s'more."

A smiling Olivia happily complied.


	10. Chapter 10

Saturday, 8:30 pm. The Cabot Cabin.

After devouring numerous s'mores, Alex and Olivia sprawled out on the blanket Alex had previously placed on the floor. Their heads were in the center of the blanket and their legs pointed outward. Together, they formed a shape that vaguely resembled a 'V'.

"Ugh. I'm stuffed," Olivia said as she patted her stomach.

"Don't blame me. I'm not the one who cooked us a huge dinner," Alex replied.

"Are you complaining?"

"No, of course not. I'm merely pointing out the obvious," Alex responding flippantly.

"Well as long as we're pointing out the obvious, I'm not the one who stuffed us full of chocolate and marshmallows."

"Just because I bought 6 chocolate bars, didn't mean you had to eat them all in one sitting," Alex chuckled.

"Well in my defense, I had some help polishing those off," Olivia replied.

"That's a weak defense Detective. The 'help' you claim to have had ate 1.5 bars – three s'mores. You on the other hand, voraciously consumed the remainder," Alex rattled off as if she were presenting evidence in court.

"Well, we've got some marshmallows left over," Olivia said meekly.

"And what, pray tell Detective, do you suggest we do with those?" Alex questioned amusedly.

"Hot chocolate of course," Olivia answered as if it had been clear from the start.

"Oh darn. I forgot to pick some up at the bodega," Alex frowned.

"Not to worry, Counselor. You may have forgotten, but my sharp detective mind remembered," Olivia declared.

"Meaning…you made a list because you knew you'd forget too?"

Olivia gaped at her. "I'm offended. Just for that remark, you don't get any."

"Well then you don't get any of my marshmallows," Alex said.

"Aaa-lex. That's not fair," Olivia whined as she sat up to effectively pout at Alex.

"Li-i-iv. That's not fair," Alex parroted.

Olivia looked at Alex as if she had sprouted a second head. A second later she burst out laughing and Alex followed suit. Once their bout of laughter had subsided, Olivia turned to face Alex and asked innocently, "So do I get to have marshmallows?"

Laughing, Alex responded with her own question. "Do I get to have cocoa?"

"That depends."

"On?" Alex asked curiously.

"On how many marshmallows you're willing to part with."

Alex thought about it for a second and replied, "Three."

"Seven," Olivia shot back immediately.

"Four," Alex replied, unphased.

"Five," Olivia continued to bargain.

"Five? What would warrant you getting five marshmallows?"

"Did I forget to mention that I didn't bring any old hot chocolate mix? I brought_raspberry_ hot cocoa," Olivia slyly informed Alex.

Alex's mouth fell open in surprise. "Have all the marshmallows you want," Alex said in all seriousness, "Just hand over the cocoa."

Olivia laughed. "Deal. Be right back."

Olivia got up to retrieve the hot cocoa mix. But as it turned out, this task was much easier said than done. Ten minutes later, Alex went in search of Olivia. Peering into the kitchen, Alex realized Olivia was no where in sight. Expanding her search parameters to the second floor, Alex entered the bedroom. Hearing a loud thump, Alex walked toward the noise to investigate. As she walked, she heard indistinct muttering coming from the corner of the room and saw Olivia's feet poking out of the doorway of the walk-in.

"What are you doing in there? Come out of the closet, Olivia."

Olivia's head shot out as she sat straight up. At first, Alex couldn't read the expression on Olivia's face. Olivia almost seemed to be waiting for something. Suddenly, Alex realized the implication of what she had just said. Seeing the realization finally dawn on Alex, a smile slowly spread across Olivia's face until it resulted in a Cheshire cat-like grin. In an effort to cover-up her little slip of the tongue, Alex rushed over and aided Olivia in getting up off the floor.

"What were you doing on the floor, Liv?" Alex said quickly, desperately hoping to distract Olivia from her earlier line of questioning.

"Just rummaging through my luggage. I forgot where I put the cocoa," Olivia smile apologetically.

"Along with a list of things to pack, maybe you should make a list of where you packed them as well," Alex said, grateful that Olivia was letting her change the subject.

"Yeah, maybe. But I'd probably just lose the list," Olivia joked.

"True," Alex said as she smiled.

"Come on and help me. It's in here…somewhere," Olivia gripped.

"Alright, Detective, although I must warn you that I am much more accustomed to serving search warrants, not executing them."

Returning to her previous position on the floor, Olivia continued her search, but this time, with help. A few minutes later, they found the elusive cocoa. A triumphant Olivia waltzed off to the kitchen to prepare the cocoa after she suggested Alex go bundle herself up by the fire. Preferring to keep her proximity to Olivia, Alex chose to clear the table instead. They worked in relative silence. Alex reveled in the happiness she felt being near Olivia. _This feels so right,_ Alex thought of her current situation. She knew her mind was slipping into dangerous territory, but she didn't care. She was miles away from the city and its problems, and she was 'playing house', so to speak, with Olivia.

Carrying two mugs of cocoa, Olivia followed Alex back into the living room. As Olivia seated herself on the floor by the fire and the marshmallows, Alex gathered the throw blanket from the couch. It was the same blanket she had placed over Olivia as she slept. _It smells like her,_ Alex thought smiling. Alex situated herself next to Olivia and accepted her mug of cocoa happily. Alex placed the mug on the floor next to her as she wrapped the blanket around herself. Olivia looked next to her expectantly.

"What?" Alex asked.

"You're not the only one whose chilly you know," Olivia replied.

"Oh I'm so sorry, Liv. Let me go get another blanket," Alex said hurriedly as she moved to get up.

"No need for that Lex. We can just share this one," Olivia said as she placed a hand on Alex's forearm.

Alex's stomach twisted in a knot. _Sharing a blanket with Olivia…sitting by the fire…sipping cocoa?_ She felt the heat emanating from Olivia's hand and she felt the heat spread over her whole body. She was experiencing sensory overload. She felt as if she might leap out of her skin any minute. She couldn't let Olivia see her like that. She wasn't ready to talk to Olivia about _it_ yet. "Really, Liv. It's no problem. I'll just – " Alex started to say as she was hushed by Olivia.

"Were already situated. Come on. Didn't your parents teach you that it's not polite to refuse a guest such a simple request? Didn't they teach you to share?" Olivia teased.

Apprehensively, Alex unwrapped one side of the blanket and offered it to Olivia.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Olivia smiled.

Alex shrugged and Olivia proceeded to put the blanket over her own shoulders. Not wanting to bump Alex with her elbow, Olivia placed her arm behind Alex. As she did so, her hand brushed the small of Alex's back. Alex shivered at the contact.

"Aww, poor thing. You're shivering," Olivia cooed. She thought Alex was shivering from the cold, so she opened up her arms. "Come here," Olivia said as she wrapped her arms around Alex to shield her from the cold.

Alex tensed up immediately, shocked at the contact. If she felt sensory overload before, then she was convinced that her brain had just melted. _I'm in Olivia's arms. I'm in her arms by the fire_. Alex tried to make sense of the situation. Not being able to think about anything but the strong arms around her, Alex surrendered into the embrace.

Feeling Alex relax and lean into her, Olivia asked, "Feeling better?"

"Perfect," Alex murmured, as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Olivia.

They sat there, cuddled up together in front of the fire, until Olivia noticed that Alex had fallen asleep with a smile on her face. Olivia silently gathered the woman into her arms, carried her upstairs, and tucked her into bed.


	11. Chapter 11

Sunday, 6:30 am.

Alex opened her eyes and immediately cursed her internal alarm clock. It was still dark. She closed her eyes and willed herself back to sleep but her body had already had its fill. Her mind was too alert to go fall back asleep and so thoughts came rushing into her head unbidden. _How did I get in bed?_ She never remembered going to bed last night. _The last thing I remember is being in Olivia's arms._ She could kick herself for being so careless. She let herself get caught up in being with Olivia when Olivia was just being herself: warm, loving, and protective. _She wasn't trying to make a move on you Cabot. Get over it._ But it was much easier said than done. Then she realized that Olivia must have carried her to bed. Her hand moved to her thigh and she sighed. _Yep, still dressed._ A small sad smile made its way to her lips. _Not exactly how I wanted her to carry me off to bed on a weekend getaway, but what else did I expect from someone so chivalrous._ Turning to look at Olivia, her heart swelled. No matter how Olivia felt, either romantically or platonically, Alex loved her deeply on both levels. Placing a small chaste kiss of love and gratitude on Olivia's forehead, Alex rolled out of bed.

Alex decided to check her messages so she located her cell phone and turned it on. Putting the phone to her ear she heard the standard voicemail greeting come through. "You have 3 new messages. First message. beep"

"Hey Lexie. Just wanted to inform you that when you get back, I want _all_ the details," Serena's voice cam through the line. "Enjoy your little love nest! Bye!" Serena sing-songed.

"Press 7 to erase your message. Press 9 to send it to the archives. Press…" Shaking her head at her friend's sillyness, Alex pressed 7. "Next message."

"Hello ADA Cabot," an unfamiliar gravelly voice said. "This is ADA Casey Novak calling. I just wanted to tell you that I look forward to working with you. If you have any questions or instructions for me, please don't hesitate to call. Otherwise, I will see you on Monday. Enjoy your weekend." Alex smiled as she pressed 7. Casey was definitely getting them off on the right foot: professional and courteous, but not in a stiff uptight kind of way. She could definitely see the potential for a very good friend in this woman.

"Next Message… "Hello Alexandra. This is your mother." Alex let out a small laugh. Why her mother felt an introduction was always necessary was beyond her. It's not like Alex called and said 'Hello mother. This is your daughter speaking.' "I was calling to inform you that I had Michael get the cabin ready for you, so everything should be fully stocked. Enjoy your weekend with your _friend_, dear. I will see you next week for dinner. And feel free to invite your _friend_ to come along_…_Goodbye dear." She could literally hear her mother smiling on the line. She knew that Alex was completely smitten and too chicken to do anything about it. She had caught on when Alex used the line 'she just a friend, mother' one too many times. So her mother, being a Cabot, took every opportunity to give her daughter a good hearty shove in the right direction.

She ended the call and decided to examine the cupboards to see Michael's handiwork. Michael was her mother's very dedicated, and very gay, personal assistant. Having him around had made it extremely easy for the Cabot brood to admit and accept that Alex was a lesbian. When Alex came out to her family, she was met with a chorus of 'What took you so long? We already knew, didn't you?' that were accompanied by looks that could only be described as 'duh' followed by warm hugs and loving kisses. Alex smiled at the memory. It was one of her favorites.

Venturing into the kitchen, Alex opened the pantry and saw copious amounts of food. Opening the refrigerator, she spied a veritable cornucopia. Smiling, Alex moved quickly to make a pot of coffee. Though she didn't need coffee to wake up in the morning, she knew Olivia did. With the coffee currently brewing, Alex turned back to the refrigerator to gather some ingredients. Motivated by her mother's teasing and the pleasant memory of coming out, Alex decided to surprise Olivia with breakfast in bed. She turned on the television in the kitchen to listen to the morning news, being careful to keep the volume down so she wouldn't wake Olivia. She then proceeded to cook a meal fit for the woman who had captured her heart.

Upstairs, Olivia was already awake. Shortly after Alex had left, Olivia began to stir lightly. Even in her sleep, Olivia's cop instincts told her that something in the room had changed. She opened her eyes to investigate and discovered Alex's absence. Deciding to lay in bed for a while longer, Olivia reached around the nightstand and felt around for her phone. Much like Alex had done earlier, Olivia flipped open her phone and proceeded to check her messages. Going through the necessary menus, a voice finally comes through the line.

"Hey Liv. It's El. Kathy asked me to call. She says she hasn't seen you in months and she wants you to come over for dinner sometime next week. You can bring a guest too…cough…if you want clears throat if not that's okay too…you don't have too. Err…whatever…you know. Ok. Umm. Bye." Olivia couldn't help but laugh at her partner fumbling for words. She thought back to his notepad. _El, I love you to death, but you're an idiot. There's no way Alex is gay and there even less chance she'd date me of all people,_ Olivia thought as she laughed.

Moving onto to the next message, Olivia heard Cragen's fatherly voice come through the line. "Olivia, hi. I just talked to John, and I know you're out on vacation with Alex, but I just wanted to tell you that I think it's great. You're like a daughter to me and whatever makes you happy makes me happy. I'm happy for you. We all are. See you Monday."_What the hell was that about?_ Olivia thought. Her mind flashed back again to Elliot's notepad. _That wasn't Elliot handwriting_, Olivia realized. _Hmm…Munch's theory…on Elliot's notepad…and a weird message from The Cap after he talked to Munch__. Oh my Go-o-d…_ Olivia burst out laughing. _It's akin to a conspiracy theory. Why didn't I see it before?_ Shaking her head in disbelief, Olivia pondered the potential ramification of her co-workers gossiping about her and the ADA.

Snapping her phone shut, she placed it on the night stand and closed her eyes. The amused smile never left her face. Twenty minutes later, Olivia had made the bed and was on her way over to the bathroom to get ready for the day.


	12. Chapter 12

7:30 am.

Alex made her way upstairs carrying a tray loaded with food. She had two more trays downstairs to gather, but those would have to wait. _I may have gone a little overboard with breakfast, but Olivia's worth it,_ Alex thought as she climbed the stairs. The tray she was carrying consisted of coffee, cream and sugar on the side, fresh squeezed orange juice, and silverware. The first tray downstairs held an assortment of honeydew, cantaloupe, and strawberries and pain perdu, authentic French toast which Alex had learned to make while living in Paris for the summer between her undergraduate studies and law school. The last tray was home to the Eggs Benedict Alex had carefully crafted. All this would have taken much longer had Michael not been so meticulous and taken the time to prep many of the things for her when he was there. _Bless that man. And bless his big, gay heart,_ Alex thought gratefully.

Upon entering to the room, Alex noticed that the bed was made and that the shower was on in the bathroom. _Oh well, I can't surprise her with it in bed, but she'll still be surprised when she gets out of her shower,_ Alex reasoned. Leaving the tray on the bed, Alex went back downstairs to retrieve the remaining trays of food. Making her last trip upstairs, Alex smiled as she heard Olivia singing in the shower.

_People are talkin'…_

_talkin' 'bout people…._

_I hear them whisper..._

_you won't believe it…._

_They think we're lovers… _

_kept under cover…_

_I just ignore it but…_

_they keep sayin' we..._

_Laugh just a little too loud…_

_Stand just a little too close…_

_We stare just a little too long…_

The song sounded vaguely familiar, but Alex just couldn't place it. Just as she was heading closer towards the bathroom door in order to hear the words more clearly, the water stopped.

"Liv?" Alex called out with curiosity lacing her tone.

"Yea. You expecting someone else?" came the muffled response

"Who sang that song?" Alex asked.

"I did," Olivia chortled.

"Ha. Ha," Alex said dryly. "Very funny you goof. You know what I meant."

"Bonnie Raitt. Why?" Olivia said through her laughter.

"Just curious. I never pegged you for a country fan."

"I'll have you know, Counselor, that I am very open and receptive to a lot of different things," Olivia quipped as she opened the door and emerged.

This made Alex wonder. _Really? How receptive and open and about what…?_ Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but Alex thought there was something in Liv's tone. Her musings were cut short by the sound of Olivia's gasp. Apparently, Olivia had caught sight of all the food that Alex had laid out.

"What's all this, Lex?"

"Surprise. I just wanted to do something nice for you," Alex smiled.

"Alex, the s'mores were 'something nice'. This," Olivia gestured, "this is incredible!"

Alex blushed. "It was nothing, Liv."

"Quit being so modest, Lex."

Alex still wasn't used to being praised by Olivia. This was made very obvious by the light shade of pink that was beginning to show on her cheeks. _Oh, for pete's sake! Why does she make me so self-conscious? I don't think I'll ever get used to this._ "Let's sit and eat while it's still hot," Alex said, trying to get the attention off of herself and onto the food.

Olivia complied with the request to sit but her attention remained on Alex. Smiling, she asked, "what did I do to deserve all this?"

"You were you," Alex answered honestly.

Genuinely touched by the sincerity in Alex's voice, Olivia moved to hug her and Alex happily fell into the embrace. A few moments later, Olivia loosened her grip, but only enough to look Alex in the eye. Chuckling lightly, Olivia said, "If only the guys could see us now?"

Alex furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why do you say that, Olivia?"

Fully releasing her grip on Alex, Olivia sat back down and starting fixing herself a cup of coffee. "Oh. Heh. It's part of the reason I was singing that song earlier. The rest of the squad thinks were…you know."

"No. I don't know," Alex replied truly unaware.

"I probably should have warned you when we first started hanging out. When you hang out with someone whose been dubbed 'Butchy McFabulous', you tend to get type-casted too. Guilt by association."

"_You're_ Butchy McFabulous?!" Alex cried incredulously. _Oh. My. GOD!_

"Heh. So you've heard of me," Olivia chortled.

"Wait a minute…you're gay?!" Alex squealed disbelievingly. _YE-E-ES!!!_

"Uh…is that a problem? I thought you knew." Olivia asked, wary of her friend's answer.

"Of course I didn't know. I wouldn't just assume…wait a minute…," Alex said as the rest of the conversation was catching up to her. "You were saying something about the squad. The rest of the squad thinks were_what _exactly, Olivia?" Alex questioned while trying to stay calm.

"They think we're together," Olivia said. "You never answered my question though. Do you have a problem with the fact that I date women?"

"NO! No. Of course not," Alex replied a little too quickly. _Oh my GOD! Of course not Liv! As long as the woman you date is me!!!_ Alex thought as her mind was busy doing a happy dance worthy of this momentous occasion.

"Ooo-Kaay," Olivia said slowly, not fully believing her friend because she was acting odd and out of character.

"So why is it that the squad thinks we're an item?" Alex inquired curiously. She was ecstatic to find out Olivia was as 'open' as she has hoped. _Why is it that we're not an item?_

"It's just one of Munch's conspiracy theories. A while back, I had to tell Munch I was gay because he wouldn't get off my back about some debacle with his ex-partner Cassidy. Ever since then his twisted, perverted little mind has paired me with every woman who has walked into the squad room that's not a vic or a perp."

"But no one ever buys into Munch's theories. You said that the rest of the squad thinks this too," Alex replied. Her tone made it clear that this was a question.

"Yea. Apparently, they've compiled evidence."

"Evidence?"

"Yea," Olivia snickered. "I came across it in El's notepad."

"And what was this alleged evidence?" _Did I stare at you too long? Uh-oh…_

"Oh. Our lunches together and the fact that we took this little vacation together. Oh yea, and uh…something about you sitting on my desk, and us getting each other coffee," Olivia said as she tried to remember the rest.

"I see," Alex replied coolly as she smiled on the inside. _I guess they caught on to that desk thing. I wonder if they noticed that I made sure enough thigh was showing to be suggestive, but not inappropriate…_

Mistaking her friend's cool and calm response as a precursor to the cold shoulder treatment she received yesterday, Olivia quickly went into damage-control mode. "Don't worry though, Alex. I'm planning on setting them straight tomorrow."

"What do you mean, Liv? What are you planning on telling them?" Alex asked.

"Well…that their theory is wrong and that you're not a lesbian," Olivia answered, eyeing her friend suspiciously.

"What if I told you they weren't wrong, Olivia? Well…not completely anyway," Alex replied hopefully.

"What are you talking about, Lex?" Olivia asked clearly taken aback.

"Well…what if I told you Detective Munch is a great detective, but that he just has an overactive imagination?" Alex replied smirking. _Okay, it's now or never Cabot. Tell her!_

"I'd say I agree with you…but I don't see where you're going with this. How are they not wrong? We're not…," Olivia started to say as she was interrupted by Alex.

"But-what-if-I-want-us-to-be?" Alex exhaled the question in one breath. Her composure had left her along with her manners. She spoke too quickly and she had interrupted Olivia. But she didn't care. She was too nervous to care. And if she hadn't said it then, she'd probably have lost her nerve.

Olivia said nothing. She just sat there. She had been stunned into silence.

_Oh god…what have I done?_ thought Alex. _Just because she's gay and I'm gay doesn't mean she'd be interested in dating. Shit…_


	13. Chapter 13

Alex was getting more and more nervous by the second. Olivia hadn't said anything in at least 3 minutes. The silence was deafening. Alex felt as twisted up as a pretzel as she stood there in front of Olivia.

"Liv?" Alex said tentatively. "Please say something," she implored.

She was met with silence.

"Liv, I'm sorry. I know I just kind of dropped this on you. And I mean I'm sure this must come as a huge shock, especially from someone you consider a best friend. We should just pretend I never said anything, right? Like…you said you were gay…and then I said I was gay…and then I just stopped talking. Like completely stopped talking and didn't say anything else. At all. Whatsoever. And now I'm rambling so I'll just shut up now. Sorry."

Olivia sat there…silent…staring at her hands. Finally she spoke so softly that Alex wasn't sure she heard her. "You're right."

_Ah crap…I wish I _hadn't_ heard her,_ Alex thought sadly.

Looking up, Olivia saw Alex trying to hide the pain of rejection that was evident on her face as she looked down.

Alex had wrapped her arms around herself as if that simple action could serve to shield her heart from shattering.

Realizing all the horrible things Alex must be thinking, Olivia decided to explain what she'd meant. "Sweetie, look at me."

Alex didn't move, but she did speak. "Look Olivia, I understand. Really, I do. You're not interested. And that's okay. You're allowed to say 'no'," Alex said, trying to sound calm while the ache in her heart grew exponentially.

"Lex, when I said you were right, that's not what I meant. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I'm sorry. I was…"

"It's okay, Liv. I mean, you're 'Butchy McFabulous' after all. Up until now, I had thought you were a myth about the perfect woman. Of course you're not interested," Alex said as she chuckled mirthlessly.

"Lex…" Olivia started.

"You don't have to explain or try to make me feel better or anything. I don't expect anything from you. Really."

"Alex…" Olivia tried again.

"I'm a big girl, Olivia. Ice Queen, remember?" Alex laughed humorlessly. "It's fine…"

"ALEXANDRA! Would you just STOP, sit down, and LISTEN to me for just ONE god DAMN minute!" Olivia snapped as she jumped up off the bed to stand in front of Alex.

Alex looked like a scolded child as she did as Olivia had demanded. She sat silently, looking up with innocent blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry I yelled Lex, I just really needed to get your attention. I'm sorry," Olivia said in a much quieter voice. It was similar to the voice she used with very young victims. When she was sure Alex wasn't going to respond, she continued.

"Alex, when I said you were right, I meant you were right about me being shocked. And you were right about me considering you a best friend. And you were even right, about the fact that you should shut up," Olivia said as she offered a small smile which Alex actually managed to return.

"But sweetie, as right as you were, you were very wrong too." This statement caused Alex to purse her lips and furrow her brow in confusion. "Alex, we can't just ignore what you said. We can't just pretend it never happened. I can't just let it go and I'm pretty sure you can't either," Olivia said, using her soothing voice.

"So then what, Liv? What are you trying to say?" Alex asked harshly. Olivia's tone was beginning to irritate her. She didn't like being handled with kid gloves. She found it extremely condescending. _Stop beating around the bush, Olivia. Just hurry up and tell me you can't be my friend anymore. End the misery,_ Alex thought.

At the glare on Alex's face and the tone in her voice, Olivia actually had the audacity to laugh. And not just a little chuckle either, but a full on laugh.

Alex stood angrily and crossed her arms. She wanted to walk out of the room. She needed to regain her composure. She was feeling too hurt and offended and she was sure she was going to say something she would regret later.

Olivia stepped closer and put her hands on Alex's forearms to cease any further movement. "Alex, _**I **_just can't let this go," Olivia said with a smile.

"You said that already, Olivia," Alex said, not bothering to hide her anger. _Why are you adding insult to injury?_ "Do you have anything else to say?" Alex asked insolently.

"Yeah. I do," Olivia with mock anger as she smiled.

"Well?" Alex said impatiently and impertinently.

"Alexandra Cabot, would you have dinner with me sometime?" Olivia said sweetly as she smiled from ear to ear.

Alex lunged at Olivia and starting smacking her on her shoulders and upper arms. "Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again!" Alex said, punctuating each word with a corresponding strike.

"So is that a 'no'?" Olivia asked through spurts of laughter as she blocked Alex's blows.

"I can't believe you just did that to me!" Alex cried out smiling. The tension that had found it's way into her body had suddenly disappeared.

"Seriously, I didn't mean to. Like you said, I was shocked and so it took a while to process. I didn't mean to scare you and then when I finally regained my bearings, you had already jumped to your silly little conclusions as to what my silence meant," Olivia defended good-naturedly.

"Ugh," Alex groaned as she threw her hands up in exasperation as she flopped back down onto the bed. "I hate it when you're right. I did jump to conclusions. I'm an attorney for Pete's sake. I should know better…"

"Of course I'm right. You may have a background in law and experience reading people, but my background in psychology gave me a leg up at figuring out what was going on in that pretty blonde head of yours." Olivia sat down on the edge of the bed leaving the trays of food in between them. "Now how about, we get some breakfast in us," Olivia suggested smiling at Alex. "You need to keep your energy up if you're going to continue to beat yourself up," Olivia teased.

"Keep that up, Detective, and you'll be dining alone," Alex replied.

"Are you referring to breakfast, or to dinner?" Olivia asked.

"I don't remember agreeing to have dinner with you," Alex replied cheekily.

At this comment, Olivia couldn't help but laugh. "Fine, Counselor. Join me for breakfast now, and we can discuss the terms under which you would agree to have dinner with me."

"Deal," Alex said. The combination of relief, excitement, and happiness was clearly shown in her radiant smile.

Answering with a nod and her own radiant smile, Olivia began to dig into the wonderful meal Alex had lovingly prepared for her.


	14. Chapter 14

Sunday, 8:30am.

Breakfast had been finished long ago. Olivia was quite impressed by Alex's culinary skills. While eating, they talked of Alex's summer in Paris and Olivia shared details of a few weeks she'd spent in Europe on a study abroad program she had been in during college. Olivia had insisted on cleaning up citing the fact that Alex had prepared the feast. She playfully ordered Alex to march off to the bathroom just as she had the previous night. Olivia couldn't get over just how cute Alex looked as she pretended to pout. She'd always had the slightest hint of a crush on the blonde, but she never let herself consider the possibility. She never wanted to risk the incredible friendship she had found by letting herself fall for her very gorgeous, _very straight_, best friend. But now that their mutual attraction was out in the open, Olivia allowed her thoughts to dwell on the young ADA as she tended to the dishes.

_I feel so foolish…_

_I never noticed…_

_You'd act so nervous…_

_Could you be falling for me…_

_It took a rumor…_

_To make me wonder…_

_Now I'm convinced…_

_I'm going under…_

_Thinking 'bout you every day…_

_Dreaming 'bout you every night…_

_I'm hoping that you feel the same way…_

_Now that we know it, let's really show it, darlin'…_

Lost in her thought, Olivia didn't hear Alex enter the kitchen or call out her name.

"And after Big Bird and I get married under the sea, he wants us to live on the Moon," Alex said with all the seriousness she could muster.

"Huh?" Olivia said as she was drawn out of her daydream. "Oh hey, Lex. I didn't notice you there."

"Clearly," Alex said, still amused. "I was talking to you for a minute before I realized your head was in outer space somewhere. What were you thinking about anyway?" Alex chuckled.

"You," Olivia stated simply.

"Good things I hope," Alex smiled shyly.

Olivia returned the smile and asked, "how long?"

"How long what, Liv?" Alex asked.

"How long have you known you were attracted to me?" Olivia clarified.

Groaning and covering her face, Alex asked, "does it really matter, Liv?"

Finding amusement in making Alex blush, Olivia answered in the affirmative and nodded, although she only wanted to know out of curiosity and not necessity.

"How long have I been at SVU?" Alex asked sheepishly.

"That long?!"

Alex blush deepened. "It was about two weeks after I started. I realized I was making up excuses to call you to my office or go over to the squad room."

"Wow, Alex. I never knew. I just thought you were being thorough," Olivia confessed.

"Well, I am thorough, but that…that was overkill," Alex said with a laugh.

Suddenly, Olivia's eyebrow arched in question. "So how much of Munch's theory was right?"

"I cannot state for certain, Detective, for I do not know the details of John's theory," Alex stated in the tone she reserved for court.

"Ah I see. Allow me to rephrase then, Counselor," Olivia replied with a smirk.

Alex's blush was now a constant presence on her fair complexion. She felt her face get hotter and hotter under Olivia's scrutiny. _Damn. I should've known I couldn't evade her line of questioning. I've seen her interrogate suspects a hundred times. She's relentless._

"While I was reviewing the evidence in Detective Stabler's notepad, I came across a supposition pertaining to the reasons as to why you seem to have staked a claim on my desk as your seat. Can you either confirm or deny these allegations, Counselor?" Olivia questioned, doing the best impression of an attorney she could manage.

Playing along with Olivia, Alex answered, "I admit I'm guilty on that charge."

"And as to the charges pertaining to flirtation by way of coffee?" Olivia pressed on.

"Guilty," Alex smiled. She was relaxing more and more. Forgotten was her earlier embarrassment. She really enjoyed the playfulness that was part of her relationship with the usually stoic detective.

"And as to the charge of blatantly staring at my backside when I walk away?" Olivia said, trying not to give herself away by grinning too widely.

"WHAT!? They saw that??" Alex cried out mortified. Hey embarrassment had returned tenfold, along with her telltale blush.

"Oh my God! Alex, I made that last one up! You stare at my ass?" Olivia asked as she tried to control her laughter. There was no need to make Alex feel any more embarrassed than she already was, she rationalized. She was quite flattered really.

Alex smacked Olivia on the shoulder with the back of her hand. Her face was beet red from embarrassment. "I can't believe you, Olivia!"

"My my, Alex. You sure are a violent one aren't you?" Olivia teased. "It's okay though, you hit like a girl anyway."

Alex's jaw dropped in astonishment but she recovered quickly. "If you think I'm violent now, then you ain't seen nothin' yet. I'll show you 'hit like a girl'," Alex threatened mildly, trying to sound tough.

"Oh really?" Olivia replied greatly amused.

"Yes really," Alex replied as she crossed her arms in a show of defiance.

"Come here you!" Olivia laughed as she grabbed Alex and began to tickle her.

Alex managed to wriggle free of Olivia's grasp and fled from the kitchen. Olivia chased Alex into the living room where she cornered her in the crook of the 'L' that was formed by the couch and the easy chair.

"Gotcha now, Cabot. No where to run. Whatcha gonna do?" Olivia taunted as she stalked her prey.

Alex's eyes darted back and forth looking for a means of escape. Olivia could almost see the wheels turning in Alex's head so she decided to act before Alex could formulate a plan. She darted forward quickly and reached out with her right arm to grab hold of her. Alex nimbly moved off to her right evading Olivia's grasp. Years of ballet had given her fantastic balance and allowed her a great deal of flexibility. She used this to her full advantage as she leapt up onto the couch and poised to jump over it. One thing Alex hadn't counted on though was the fact that Olivia's physical training had not only allotted her with great strength, but speed as well. Underestimating Olivia's proximity, Alex leapt over the back of the couch quickly. Unfortunately, her elbow made contact with Olivia's face and Olivia fell back onto the couch. Running over to the front of the couch, she could see Olivia had covered her left eye with her left hand. Alex knelt down beside the couch and began apologizing profusely.

"I'm so sorry, Liv. I swear I didn't mean to do that. I'm so _so_ sorry," Alex said as she helped Olivia sit upright.

Alex noticed Olivia's shoulders start to shake slightly. Thinking she was really hurt, Alex began to get up to retrieve some ice and call a doctor. But she was stopped abruptly by Olivia's right hand on her elbow. Turning to look at Olivia, Alex noticed she was chuckling. She wasn't any less worried about her friend, but she was slightly relieved that she was shaking from laughter and not pain.

"Liv, are you okay?" Alex asked tentatively.

"You sure know how to prove a point, Lex," Olivia stated lightheartedly.

Confused, Alex asked, "What are you talking about?"

Smiling and removing her hand to reveal the beginnings of a black eye, Olivia replied with a huge grin, "I take it back. You really don't hit like a girl."


	15. Chapter 15

Sunday, 9:30 am.

Olivia sat on the couch holding an ice pack over her injured eye while Alex perched on the arm of the easy chair looking sullen and guilty.

"Alex, come on. It's fine. It doesn't even hurt," Olivia said, trying to make Alex feel better.

"It sure looks like it hurts. I'm so sorry, Liv," Alex apologized for the millionth time. "I didn't know you were there, I swear."

"I know that, Lex. I'm not mad. It was an accident. Accidents happen. Stop apologizing. All's forgiven," Olivia rambled off the same sentences she'd been saying for the past 15 minutes, hoping that Alex would hear her this time.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alex asked tentatively.

"I'm fine. Big tough cop, remember?" Olivia said with a grin.

Alex groaned in frustration as she buried her head in her hands. "I'm pathetic. _I_ give _you_ a black eye and then here you are trying to make _me_ feel better about it."

"Is it working?" Olivia asked.

"A little," Alex replied as a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Well, how about you make it up to me then," Olivia suggested.

"How? You name it, you've got it," Alex said eager to make amends.

"Well, I'm still waiting on an answer to that dinner invitation I extended," Olivia said coyly.

With a warm smile, Alex nodded as said, "of course, I'd love to join you for dinner. Name the time and the place and I'll be there."

"Good," Olivia said as her grin grew into a smile. "Great," she amended as an afterthought. "Now how about we get on with the rest of our day? We've gotta get back to the city tonight, and I'd hate to let a little thing like a black eye ruin the time we have left."

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Alex asked apprehensively.

"Absolutely! Now what sounds good to you… a little lounging around in the lake, a leisurely walk in the woods, canoeing, fishing, a mini-hike, bird watching, biking on the dirt path?" Olivia asked, hoping Alex would pick up on her hinting tone.

Laughing, Alex said with still a twinge of guilt, "well, your good eye seemed to light up when you said 'mini-hike'. Am I right?"

Olivia nodded and grinned.

"Okay. Mini-hike it is then," Alex said decidedly. "There's this path that I used to take with my father as a little girl. It ends up at this really great climbing tree. There's a tire swing on it too. Daddy had it put in when he was too old to climb with me," Alex said. As she spoke, it was clear she was getting more and more excited.

"Alexandra Cabot used to climb trees?" Olivia asked clearly surprised.

"Like you said yesterday, Detective. I'm full of surprises," Alex said as she winked at Olivia.

Laughing heartily, Olivia said, "Okay, so what are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road."

Forty-five minutes later, they were well into their hike. Their time had been spent in easy conversation. Olivia wasn't surprised to hear that Alex was very much a daddy's girl. She was, however, surprised to hear that she was she had a very easy-going relationship with her mother, as well.

"We talk about everything and anything," Alex said.

"Really?" Olivia asked genuinely surprised.

"Yes really. What? We're you expecting a Lorelai and Emily Gilmore situation?" Alex asked, amused.

"Well, to be honest, yeah," Olivia confessed sheepishly.

Chuckling, Alex said, "No, we're more like Rory and Lorelai. She's as annoyed by arrogant, self-important, rich snobs as much as I am."

"I see. Well, _Rory, _what would _Lorelai_ say about the fact that you've agreed to have dinner with me?" Olivia asked, curious as to whether or not the Cabot's were okay with Alex's sexuality.

Alex looked deep in thought for a minute before she replied, "She'd probably say, 'I'm sure she's nice, but try not to put out until your father and I have met her, dear'."

Olivia nearly choked on her own tongue in surprise.

Alex laughed at Olivia's reaction. "Come on. The swing is just up ahead."

Olivia regained her composure and followed Alex dutifully.

"So this is where little Alex Cabot spent quality father-daughter time, huh?" Olivia asked.

Alex nodded with a huge smile. "Daddy taught me how to climb that tree, and then when his age caught up with him, he'd push me on the swing. I used to love swinging and jumping off."

Olivia smiled at the wistful expression of Alex's face. "Why don't you hop on and I'll push? You can even jump off if you'd like."

With a goofy smile on her face, Alex ran to the swing. She planted her feet firmly in the hole of the tire and held onto the rope it was attached to with both hands.

Olivia put her hands on Alex's hips and prepared to push. "Ready?" Olivia asked.

Alex responded with a giddy nod and a girlish giggle.

Olivia pulled Alex back in order to gain momentum and use gravity to their advantage. She released with a strong yet gentle push.

Alex closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of the wind in her face and hair. She was momentarily brought back to the carefree moments of her youth. She saw herself swinging and laughing with her father while her mother watched on with love. With each push from Olivia, she felt herself swinging higher and higher. She could almost hear her father's voice telling her to pick a soft spot to land. With her eyes still clamped shut, she adjusted her footing on the tire to make a clear jump. Opening her eyes just as the tire reached the top of a swing, Alex let go and soared.

Unfortunately, Olivia was not prepared for Alex's mid-air departure. As her eyes followed Alex's form to ensure she landed safely, the tire came back swing at full force. Had her reflexes not been so diligently honed, the tire would have struck Olivia directly in the stomach. Instead, she was able to deflect most of the force, but she was still knocked off her feet. Attempting to break her fall, she landed on her wrist.

Alex looked back in Olivia's direction. Expecting to see an upright and smiling detective, Alex was shocked to see Olivia prostrate in the grass clutching her left wrist with her right hand. Running over, Alex yelled, "Liv, are you okay?"

Laughing at her own misfortune, Olivia replied, "Yea. My worst injury is the huge bruise on my pride."

"But your wrist…," Alex started.

"Just needs a little ice," Olivia finished.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Well then let's get back to the cabin and get some ice on it ASAP."

"Lead the way, Counselor.

By the time they made it back to the cabin, it was nearly 11:30. Alex had gotten Olivia an ice pack for her wrist and she sat with it on the porch looking at the lake.

"Can I get you anything to drink, Liv?" Alex asked. Her guilt form the black eye had been temporarily assuaged, but with the tire incident, she felt even guiltier now.

"I'm fine, Alex. Relax," Olivia laughed trying to put Alex at ease.

"Well, it's almost lunch time. Let me make you something to eat," Alex offered. She needed to do _something_ for Olivia.

"I'm not an invalid, you know?" Olivia teased.

"I know. I just feel so bad. Let me do something to make it up to you," Alex pleaded.

"Okay, but there's nothing for you to make up for. I wasn't paying attention. It's my fault," Olivia said.

"But I should have warned you," Alex replied. "So what do you want for lunch?"

Laughing, Olivia gave in and asked for a tuna salad sandwich. Alex bounced off to the kitchen to fill the order. Fifteen minutes later, she returned with two sandwiches, two sodas, and some potato chips.

"I'm sorry I ruined your weekend getaway, Olivia," Alex said solemnly.

"What are you talking about, Alex? I had a great time. Swimming, s'mores, and swinging…a weekend away at a cabin doesn't get much better than that. _And_, I've got a date lined up too," Olivia said with a smirk. She knew Alex was beating herself up over this and she wasn't going to let it go on any longer. Olivia decided to distract her by bringing up their date again.

"Right. Our date. I guess it'll have to wait until you're healed. Unless I manage to maim you again by then," Alex scoffed.

"Are you ashamed of being seen with me like this?" Olivia asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Of course not. I just…," Alex said quickly.

"Good, then date's back on," Olivia interjected. "I'm picking you up Tuesday night. You wouldn't renege on a verbal contract, would you, Counselor?" Olivia asked with a knowing smirk.

Alex shook her head and smiled.

"Good. But just in case, I'll need to see that in writing," Olivia winked.

Alex laughed a loud, genuine laugh. Hearing it made Olivia's smile widen involuntarily.

"I'll get right on it, Detective. I'll have the papers drawn up first thing Monday morning."

"In triplicate," Olivia said, wanting the laughter to continue.

Olivia got her wish.


	16. Chapter 16

Sunday, 1:45 pm, Cabot Cabin.

After lunch, Alex and Olivia cleaned up and headed upstairs to pack up. It was around 2 by the time they were done. Although Olivia insisted on loading up the car, Alex wouldn't hear of it.

"Your wrist needs time to heal, Olivia. You're not superwoman," Alex protested.

"How do you know? I could be detective by day superhero by night," Olivia replied.

"Olivia, I've seen you when we've been called to crime scenes at night. I already_know_ you're a hero," Alex praised.

Olivia blushed at the compliment.

"You are _so _cute when you blush," Alex said, causing Olivia to blush harder. Alex laughed. "Come on, we can load the car together."

Making quick work of their task, the two women decided that they would take a walk around the shore of the lake until it was time to leave. The drive was only supposed to take just over 2 hours, but since the drive to the cabin took 4 hours, they decided to leave earlier than originally planned. They wanted to get back to the city by 6:30, so they agreed on 3 being the time to leave by.

Olivia walked next the water with Alex on her right side.

"Thanks for showing me such a great time this weekend, Alex. I can see why you liked it here so much as a kid," Olivia said quietly.

"I must confess though, I enjoy my time here as an adult just as much this weekend. Although it's for an entirely different reason," Alex said bashfully.

"I'm glad I had a part in that," Olivia said sincerely.

They smiled shyly at each other and continued walking.

Every so often, Alex would sneak a peak at Olivia from the corner of her eye. Her confident stride and her quiet intensity were mesmerizing. _She's so amazing._

Olivia was watching Alex the entire time. But her gaze had gone unnoticed. Her years as a detective had taught her how to keep an eye on someone without arousing suspicion. Her grace and poise were evident in every one of her movements. _She's so amazing._

They continued to amble along as the minutes ticked away. There hands brushed up on each other as their arms swung casually with each step. Olivia decided that they were dancing around it enough. She took Alex's left hand with her right and intertwined their fingers. Looking up at Alex, Olivia's heart skipped a beat from the smile she was awarded. Smiling shyly back, they walked for another few minutes until a cold wind blew. Olivia released her hold on Alex's hand, much to Alex's dismay. Hey disappointment was short-lived though, because she soon found herself wrapped in the warmth afforded to her by Olivia's protective arms. They stood on the shore looking at the water sparkle under the sunlight.

"We should get going soon," Olivia whispered into Alex's ear.

Alex shivered in response to the feeling of Olivia's breath on her sensitive skin. Instinctively, Olivia tightened her hold. Slowly and begrudgingly, Alex nodded.

Releasing her hold around Alex, Olivia reached for her hand again and led her back towards the cabin and the car.

Making sure the cabin was locked up, Alex climbed into the driver's side while Olivia got into the passenger's side grumbling. "I could've driven Alex. My right hand is fine."

"I know, but you drove here. It's only fair," Alex reasoned. "Besides, it's been a while since I've had the chance to drive my swanky car," Alex teased using Olivia's words from the day before.

Still slightly grumbling but smiling with amusement at Alex's mischievous answer, Olivia shook her head as she buckled her seatbelt.

A few hours later, Alex pulled off the highway and made her way towards Olivia's apartment.

"Did you want to grab a bite before heading home?" Olivia asked.

Disappointed, Alex had to shake her head. "I wish I could, Liv. But I've got some work to catch up on before tomorrow. And I need to make sure everything is set for the new ADA too."

"Okay. Don't work too hard, Counselor. Wouldn't want to undo all the relaxation from this weekend," Olivia replied as Alex pulled over.

Retrieving her bags from the back of Alex's car, Olivia turned to face Alex. Olivia pulled her into a warm hug which ended much too quickly for Alex's taste.

"Have a good night, Liv," Alex said as she got back into the driver's seat.

"Night, Lex," Olivia waved.

As she pulled away, Alex's cell phone alerted her to an incoming call.

"Cabot."

"Hey Lexi. How was the romantic getaway with your detective?" Serena asked teasingly.

"Oh the usual. I seduced her and we didn't leave the bed even for food," Alex replied casually.

"You're kidding!" Serena squealed.

"Of course I am," Alex replied simply.

"Not funny," Serena scolded. "Now tell me what really happened."

"She cooked me dinner and was as sweet as can be. I returned the favor and gave her a black eye and a sprained wrist," Alex griped.

"You didn't!" Serena cried.

"Unfortunately. I did."

"What happened, I want details!" Serena demanded playfully.

Recounting her weekend exploits with Olivia to Serena's eager ears, Alex was met with several variations of 'Oh my God, that's too cute' and 'Cabot, you're such a dork'.

"We held hands as we walked along the shore, and when we stopped to look out at the water, she held me for a while," Alex recalled dreamily.

"Aww. What a Hallmark moment. So when's the wedding?" Serena teased.

"You're putting the cart before the horse, Serena. No wedding talk!" Alex ordered, "But our first date is on Tuesday."

"I told you that you had everything to gain, Lexi," Serena said knowingly.

"I know, I know. You were right," Alex said.

"Huh?"

"I said, you were right, Serena," Alex repeated.

"What?" Serena asked.

"Can you not hear me?" Alex responded with the own question.

"No, you sound fairly clear. I just wanted to hear you say it again. I need my ego stroked every once in a while," Serena said with a smile.

Responding in a tone that was common amongst bored third graders reciting the pledge of allegiance, Alex replied, "Serena Southerlyn. You were right. You are an omniscient being who is an expert in lesbian behavior. I should listen to you more often. All hail…"

"Alright. Alright. That's enough, Cabot. Way to ruin my moment of glory," Serena mumbled.

"It's what I'm here for," Alex laughed. "Want to do lunch tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll come by your office around noon."

"Great. I'll see you then. Bye Serena."

"Good night, Lexi."

Across town, Olivia had begun unpacking from her weekend while she listened to the messages on her machine. The captain had called to let her know that she wasn't expected to be I the squad room until 9. _Fat chance that'll happen, _Olivia thought, _I'm always the first one there and that's just how it is, Cap. _Showering quickly, Olivia made herself a microwave dinner and settled in on her couch in front of the TV. She ate while watching the news and cleaned up after she was done. Picking up around her apartment a bit, Olivia's mind wandered to the wonderful weekend she had with Alex and the date she had to look forward to. When she finally went into her bedroom to settle into bed, it was around 11.

Climbing into bed and closing her eyes, Olivia's last conscious thought before sleep overcame her was _I should put some ice on my eye and wrist before I fall asleep._

Meanwhile, in Alex's home office, Alex was switching off her desk lamp and gathering her case files. She organized her attaché case so it would be ready for her tomorrow morning and placed it by her door. She picked out the suit she wanted to wear tomorrow and laid it out with some matching shoes. Even though the new ADA was going to be her second chair and not her superior, Alex still wanted to make a good impression.

After finishing her nightly routine and climbing into bed, Alex switched off the lamp that was on her nightstand. Curling around a pillow and burrowing beneath the blankets, Alex fell asleep thinking _I sure hope Liv remembers to put some ice on her injuries before she goes to bed._


	17. Chapter 17

Monday, 6:00 am, Olivia's apartment.

The sound of her blaring alarm cut through the peaceful silence of morning. Slowly, an alarm emerged from beneath a mound of blankets and flailed blindly around in an attempt to smack the snooze button and force the infernal machine into a silent submission. The hand managed to hit its mark, but the owner of the appendage howled in pain upon contact. In her sleep induced fog, Olivia had forgotten about her injury and used her left hand. Muttering curses under her breath, Olivia emerged from the warmth of her bed while cradling her injured wrist. Sleep was no longer an option.

After starting a pot of coffee, Olivia grabbed a quick shower. The soothing mist of water served to wake her up pleasantly. Dressing quickly and mussing up her hair into its patented wind-blown sexy-look, she re-entered the kitchen to get her caffeine fix. A few minutes later, fully alert and awake, Olivia attached her gun and badge to her belt and was on her way out to the door.

* * *

6:30, Alex's apartment. 

Eyelids fluttered open slowly to reveal bright blue eyes. Stretching in a very feline manner, Alex couldn't suppress a grin. She had just had one of the best weekends of her adult life, and the upcoming week showed promise of being even better. Hopping out of bed happily, Alex bounded about her room, completing her usual morning routine. By 7, she was fully dressed and in her kitchen with a glass of juice in hand while she waited for her bagel to finish toasting. Usually, she didn't have the luxury of slowing down in the morning to eat at home, but this morning, she didn't have to worry about getting a cab because she still had the Cabot car.

Finishing her breakfast, Alex left her apartment by 7:15, attaché case in hand. Checking her watch, she smiled. _I'll be in the office by 7:30…right on time. I wonder how Olivia is doing._

* * *

7:00am. Precinct house. 

Olivia wandered into the squad room 15 minutes later than usual, and she was still the first to arrive. She went over to the small kitchen area in the corner of the squad room to start a pot of coffee. She had learned long ago never to leave it for Munch to make.

At 7:30, Captain Don Cragen entered the squad room and saw Olivia sitting at her desk with her face buried in a mound of paperwork. Knowing who it was without looking up, Olivia called out, "Morning, Cap. How was your weekend?"

"I don't remember having one," he answered. His grin betrayed the annoyance in his tone. "How was yours?"

"Good," she answered. She finally looked up long enough to offer him a cheery smile in return.

His grin immediately turned into a look of fatherly concern. "Olivia, what happened?"

"Oh. Nothing, Cap. They don't even hurt," Olivia dismissed quickly.

"They?" he questioned

Kicking herself for her slip up, she held up her wrist guiltily. It had turned a deep shade of purple overnight.

"Have you seen a doctor yet?"

Olivia shook her head. "No need. I'm fine," she insisted vehemently.

"Go see a doc, and when you get back, you're riding a desk," he said. "You can't be out in the field helping vics looking like one."

"But Captain…," Olivia began to protest.

Cragen held up a hand to silence the rest of her argument. "That's an order, Detective," he stated sternly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Grumbling, Olivia got up and grabber her jacket with her good hand. "You're worse than Alex," she muttered under her breath.

"I've had more practice," he replied, amused.

About an hour later, Elliot, John, and Fin filed into the squad room. Elliot and Fin were both in the middle of dismissing one of John's government conspiracy theories. Smelling the freshly brewed coffee, but seeing Olivia's empty desk, Elliot spoke up. "Hey, what gives?" he asked no one particular.

Seeing the Captain emerge from his office, Elliot reiterated, "Cap, where's Liv?"

"Elliot, you're partnered with Fin today. John, you're with me," he responded with authority. "Liv's got desk duty today."

"Cap…," Elliot started to defend his absent partner.

He held up a hand to silence Elliot much in the same manner as he had done earlier with Olivia. "It's not punishment, so cool it Stabler. She showed up early this morning with a purple wrist to match her shiner," he explained, "so she's riding a desk just for today." With that, he turned and walked back into his office to get to work. Three confused detectives were left to ponder over what happened to their surrogate little sister.

* * *

9:00 am. 

The distinct sound of Olivia's footsteps could be heard in the hall outside the squad room.

"Shh. She's coming. Get to work," Elliot whispered hurriedly to his fellow detectives. The three proceeded to bury themselves with manila case file folders as Olivia entered.

None of the guys even looked up when she walked through the door. _Odd_. She sensed something was off, but she tried to dismiss it as paranoia. Taking a seat at her desk directly across from Elliot, she addressed the file he held in front of his face. "Hey El. Have a good time with Kathy and the kids this weekend?"

Finally letting the file fall to his desk, revealing a make-shift black eye in the process, he said, "Yup. I'm _beat_." He had the biggest grin on his face.

Narrowing her eyes in annoyance, she winced at the pain. "Smartass," she muttered.

Hearing her wince in pain, Fin dropped his file and asked, "You alright, Liv?"

She turned towards him in order to reassure him and thank him for his concern, but she was met with yet another fake black eye. She growled slightly.

Shifting her gaze towards John, she asked pointedly. "What about you John? You put some make up on today too? Feeling pretty?"

As he lifted his gaze from the file lying on his desk, Olivia was relieved to see that at least ONE of her co-workers was slightly more mature than the others. Her relief was short-lived though.

Holding up his hands to ward off the impending verbal assault, he revealed two wrists wrapped in ace elastic bandages. "Don't look at me. I refuse cover-up of all kinds," he quipped.

Groaning in frustration, she said, "you guys are idiots," and proceeded to get back to work.

The three male detectives broke out in unbridled laughter. "Seriously thought Liv, how was the weekend getaway?" Elliot asked,

"Fine."

"What happened?" Munch prodded.

"Nothing."

"How'd you get the beat down?" Fin pried.

Cragen's authoritative voice broke through and saved Olivia from the relentless questioning. "Stabler! Fin! Don't you have some work to do? I need your 5's on my desk be noon. John, you're riding with me. Let's go."

* * *

Monday, 12:30pm, The Halls of Justice. 

"Hey Doppelganger, what's for lunch today?" Serena called out as she poked her head into the doorway.

"Excuse me?" ADA Casey Novak replied looking up from the file she was reviewing. "Oh, you must be looking be looking for Alexandra. She's in the office across the hall now."

"Oops. Sorry. Thanks. Bye," Serena said as she ducked out of the doorway slightly flushed from embarrassment. She turned to knock on the door directly behind her.

"Cabot? You in there?" she called out.

"Hey Serena. Come on in," came Alex's voice from deep inside the room.

Entering Alex's new office, Serena whistled. "Geez, Lexi. Nice digs. This is almost twice the size of your old office."

Smiling proudly, Alex gestured toward a side of the room as she announced, "and I've got a couch to kick back on."

"Nicely done," Serena complimented. "Let's celebrate. Lunch is on me today. You ready to go?"

"Sure. Let me just check in with my new second chair before we head out."

Knocking on Casey's door, Alex entered as she was prompted to. "Hey Casey. I just wanted to make sure you're doing alright. I'm about to head out for lunch. Do you need anything before I go? Any last minute questions?"

"I think I'm getting the hang of it. Have a nice lunch, Alexandra," Casey said

"Alright. I've got my cell if you need anything. See you in an hour. And you can call me Alex, by the way.

"Okay. See you in an hour, Alex," Casey said with a bright smile.

Alex went back into her office to retrieve Serena and they both headed out to lunch.

Settling into their table comfortably, Serena finally asked the questions she'd been dying to ask since last night.

"Alright Lex. So what's the deal with the detective? What happened? You must tell me everything. You were too vague and brief with me last night. Spare no detail now. How did you finally drudge up the courage to ask Butchy McFabulous out?" Serena asked like an excited child.

"Actually, she asked me out," Alex said giddily.

"Really?"

"Try not to sound to shocked, Serena," Alex pretended to be offended.

"Sorry. I'm not shock that she's interested. I'm not. I'm just really happy for you. It's about time you smiled like that."

"Like what?' Alex said, unable to suppress her wide grin.

"You know like what," Serena laughed.

"Okay okay. Enough about me. Let's talk about you now," Alex said.

"Ooh. Yay. My favorite topic," Serena bounced.

"Have you set your sights on anyone? It's about time you smiled like a smitten fool too," Alex laughed.

"Actually, I was going to ask you earlier but I forgot. Who is that gorgeous red-head who got your old office and is she single?"

"You mean Casey?" Alex practically yelled in surprise.

"_That's_ your second chair?" Serena yelled back. "All the times you mentioned her credentials and her accomplishments and you failed to mention she looks like a supermodel!"

"Get you hormones in check Southerlyn," Alex teased. "You don't even know if she bats for our team or not," Alex reasoned.

"Well go and find out!" Serena said eagerly.

"And why would I want to do that? I need to have a good working relationship with this woman. Adding you to the mix could only bring un-needed stress to the equation. She'd probably hate me for it," Alex continued to tease.

"Oh come on Alex. You owe me," Serena pleaded.

"I _owe you_?" Ales asked incredulously. "For what?"

"For my infinite love and support. Not to mention my boundless patience and wisdom concerning your issues with a certain detective," Serena argued.

Laughing, Alex conceded. "Okay. I'll try. But only because I want you to be as unnaturally giddy and happy as I am."

* * *

2:00pm, Squad room. 

The day passed slowly. After lunch, the two male detectives remaining in the squad room were considerably more relaxed. Considering Olivia hadn't given them an earful yet, they knew it was a good sign that she probably wasn't going to. The two decided it was safe to broach the subject again.

"So, Liv, how _did_ you manage to get so beat up?" Elliot proceeded cautiously.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she answered casually, not bothering to look up from her desk.

"Try us," Fin said.

"Honestly?" Olivia queried finally looking up.

"Yea," Elliot agreed.

"Okay. I was attacked by a crazed flock of birds. One of'em just flew right into my head. That's how I got the black eye. Three more rushed at me and I fell to the ground. That's how I sprained my wrist," Olivia said with a straight face.

"Really?!" Elliot exclaimed.

"Seriously?!" Fin said shocked.

"Nope," Olivia smiled smugly.

"Come on, Liv. Tell us what really happened," Elliot whined.

"Okay. The truth…I wrestled a bear," Olivia responded straight faced.

"Damn girl!" Fin said.

"You should see the bear," Olivia said in a self-satisfied manner.

"No way!" Elliot said is disbelief.

"You guys really are idiots. It's a wonder you two made detective," Olivia chuckled.

"Come on. Seriously, Liv," Elliot pleaded. "You gotta tell us. Please?"

"Geez, Stabler. You take lessons in whining from you're daughters?" Olivia teased.

Fin and Elliot both gave her looks that said they wouldn't let up until they got the real story out of her.

"Alright, but it's not as exciting as it seems," she offered as a disclaimer. "It was just some rough housing around the cabin," Olivia said simply.

"Jus' some rough housin'. With who? The New York Giants?" Fin asked.

"You mean to tell us," Elliot asked pointedly, "that Alex Cabot…did _that_…to_ you_."

Olivia nodded.

"I hate to ask, but how bad off is she? She hasn't been her around at all today. Did you put her out of commission?," Elliot said, slightly anxious to hear the answer.

"Not a scratch on her," Olivia answered.

Fin and Elliot both gaped at her.

Laughing, she said, "Never…ever…tell her she hits like a girl."


	18. Chapter 18

Tuesday, 9:25 am, just outside the squad room.

"We will primarily be working with four detectives and their captain within this unit," Alex explained. "Are you ready to go in?" Alex asked cheerily.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Casey answered with nervous excitement. She felt like a kid on the first day of school.

"Okay," Alex smiled reassuringly. "We're meeting with the captain in his office first. We'll handle the introductions afterwards." Sensing Casey's nervousness, Alex smiled understandingly and said, "I was a bit intimidated my first day too. You'll be fine."

Pushing open the double doors to the squad room, Alex strutted in confidently with Casey on her heels.

"Detectives," Alex acknowledged courteously in passing, while Casey smiled and nodded her hellos. Neither woman stopped until they had reached their intended destination. Without another word, both women entered Cragen's office and shut the door.

"What was that about?" Munch asked, perpetually curious.

Fin and Elliot both shrugged.

Olivia smirked but said nothing.

"Olivia, did your lover's quarrel at the cabin carry over into the week? Cabot said one word to us, literally." Munch waited for a response that never came.

Olivia knew that the easiest way to get under John's skin was to ignore his prodding. He couldn't stand it when no one engaged him in a battle of wits. 'How am I going to remind you all of my wisdom and quick wit otherwise? I'm not just a handsome face you know,' he would often say to has fellow detectives.

Continuing to work, Olivia successfully ignored her co-workers as they speculated over what was going on. About half an hour later, Cragen emerged from his office followed by two statuesque ADAs.

"People, listen up," Cragen called you as he made his way over to their desks. An ADA was on either side of him. Gesturing towards Casey with an open palm, Cragen said, "this is our new ADA, Casey Novak." He then motioned towards each detective as he proceeded, "Ms. Novak…Detectives Benson, Stabler, Munch, and Tutuola. I expect you all want to get acquainted, so I'll leave you to it." Cragen left to attend to other matters.

Olivia smiled warmly at Casey and welcomed her. She displayed none of her apprehension towards the new ADA even though she had her concerns about how much of Alex's duties Casey would be taking over. _Will she still come to the squad room or will we just see her deputy from now on?_

Still stunned, the male detectives had yet to address anyone. They were too busy whispering amongst themselves while the three women chirped and exchanged pleasantries.

Munch was the first to speak up after conferring with Elliot and Fin. "Olivia…what happened this weekend? First, we hear that you hit Cabot in the fist with your face, and now we have a new ADA. Is the fairytale over?" Munch voiced what the male detectives were thinking.

Alex blushed at the allusion to Olivia's injuries and to their budding romance, but she was quickly reassured by a wink from Olivia's good eye.

Seeing the looks exchanged between the two women, Munch continued, "Are we missing some key piece of information?"

"John, I assure you, the fairytale is only beginning," Alex said coyly. "And yes, in his haste to meet with the commissioner, Don did fail to mention a key piece of information. Ms. Novak is joining SVU as my second chair. I'm afraid you're still stuck with the Ice Queen," said with a small smile.

"It's an absolute pleasure, Ms. Novak," John said as he shook Casey's hand gallantly.

"Welcome," Elliot greeted as he offered his hand.

"Nice to meetcha, Novak. Call me Fin," said with a wave as he slouched in his seat.

"Hello everyone. Please call me Casey. I look forward to working with all of you," Casey addressed the whole group graciously.

"I want you all to know that just because SVU has two ADAs now does not mean things will change in the way we handle investigations. I will still be as hands on as ever, only now, there is another pair of hands for you to deal with," Alex said with a confident smirk. "I trust you will show Casey the same professional courtesy that you show me."

"I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I'm sure we will get in just as many arguments over grounds for warrants with Casey as we do with you, Alex," Olivia joked.

Casey observed the group as Alex went over what would change and what wouldn't. Alex had everyone's undivided attention. Casey immediately started to make some inferences about their group dynamic. She concluded that Benson and Stabler were the squad's dynamic duo, Fin's contribution was his street smarts, and Munch brought in his years of experience as well as his attempt at comic relief.

Alex wrapped up her conversation with the detectives and turned to address Olivia alone. "Liv, would you mind terribly if I cancelled lunch today? Casey and I need to go over some more things at lunch since I have to be in court later today," Alex explained.

"Of course, Lex. It's fine. You two go do your lawyer thing over lunch. Besides, we're still on for dinner, right?"

Alex smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Liv." She then raised her volume slightly to readdress the group. "Have a nice day, Detectives. Call me if there's anything I can do to help."

"That goes for me as well. Here is my card," Casey said as she handed four small pieces of cardstock to the detectives.

Saying their goodbyes to the women, the detectives proceeded to get back to business as usual as the DA's office's newest dream team departed.

* * *

12:00pm, Alex Cabot's Office.

Alex was deeply engrossed in a case file when a knock came on her door. "Come in," she invited.

Casey entered and closed the door behind her. "Hey Alex, I had lunch delivered," Casey said, holding up a plain brown paper bag.

"That's great, Casey. Thanks. You can just put it on the coffee table by the couch. I'll be with you in just a second," Alex said as she jotted down her thoughts quickly on the legal pad to her right.

She got up and walked over to the table where Casey had set out their lunches. "So, what are we having?" Alex asked cheerily.

"The usual: turkey on wheat, side of fruit, and a diet coke," Casey answered with a smile. Alex raised an eyebrow in question, so Casey elaborated. "I hope I wasn't out of line, but I overheard you canceling your lunch date with Detective Benson, so I called and asked her what you usually get for lunch. Turns out we have something in common."

Alex was impressed by Casey's assertiveness. "Wow, Casey. With investigative skills like that, I'm glad you're working for the prosecution and not the defense." The fact that Casey had called her lunch with Olivia a 'date' had not gone unnoticed by Alex. In addition, the fact that Casey seemed to be fine with it intrigued her. _Maybe Serena has a shot after all._

Casey blushed at the compliment and tried to deflect, she was a read head with fair skin, so there was nothing she hated more than blushing. "I just made a phone call. I'd hardly call that an investigation. I will, however, enjoy the fruits of my labor. Let's eat," Casey said, gesturing for Alex to take a seat.

The two women ate their lunches while Alex got Casey up to speed on the trial that she'd be sitting in on after lunch. Alex had asked Casey to observe her in court that afternoon so Casey could get a feel for what a rape trial was like. When the case had been thoroughly reviewed, the women continued to eat while they chatted and got to know each other beyond their professional personas.

"So what are your first impressions of the detectives, Casey?"

"They seem nice. Fin is very laid back. I like that. I look forward to some very animated verbal sparring with Detective Munch. Sarcasm's my middle name. And Detective Stabler's clearly a military man," Casey laughed.

"How did you figure that one out?" Alex asked, once again impressed with her new second chair.

"I grew up with 3 older brothers. They all followed in my father's footsteps and joined the service at 18. I guess Detective Stabler reminded me of my brothers…especially in the way he kept an eye on Detective Benson," Casey explained. "And as for Detective Benson, she seems very nice…genuine…intriguing," Casey said thoughtfully. "When we were on the phone, I could sense that there was something special about her. Like she has a gentle and kind soul. She was even nice enough to ask me to lunch tomorrow."

Alex ears felt red hot._How long was she on the phone with Olivia? What's going on here? I know why _I _find Olivia so special and intriguing, but shy does she?_ As hard as she tried to fight it, Alex was getting jealous. "Yes. She is very special," Alex said coldly.

_I knew it._ Casey smirked. "So how long have you and the good detective been seeing each other?" Casey asked casually.

The question caught Alex off guard but she figured that if Casey assumed they were in a relationship, then she should just be honest. "Actually, we're just starting out."

"Really?" Casey asked genuinely surprised.

"Yes. Why?" Alex asked as she eyed Casey suspiciously.

"Well, you two have such a synchronicity that I thought could only come from years of companionship," Casey said honestly. "Besides, the way she sounded when she talked about something as simple as what you eat…well…I could practically hear the affection she has for you in her voice."

That little tidbit of information made Alex smile brightly. She was relieved to find out that Casey wasn't interested in Olivia. But that didn't bode well for Serena. Any woman inclined to date women would go crazy over Olivia. Alex was sure of it. _I guess Serena's out of luck_ Alex thought. But then she recalled the ease at which Casey spoke about Olivia and Alex dating, so she decided to go fishing for information.

"I must confess that I'm relieved to find that you don't have a problem with the fact that Olivia and I are seeing each other," Alex said. "I'd hate to have to ask Liz for a more liberal second chair," Alex laughed.

Casey joined in on the laughter as well. "I'd be the biggest hypocrite if I did have a problem with it," Casey said amusedly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Casey laughed. "Although my ex-girlfriend would beg to differ. She just couldn't seem to grasp that it wasn't women I was no longer interested in, it was just her," Casey chuckled.

"Ex-girlfriend?" Alex said trying not to sound too hopeful, but still excited for Serena. "Are you involved with anyone right now?"

"I've been on a few dates since, but nothing serious. No one I have had enough in common with to hold my attention for too long," Casey replied.

Alex smiled. "Well, hypothetically, what if someone came along who did have some things in common with you? And what if they were to express interest in getting to know you better?"

"Why? Do you know someone?" Casey asked, intrigued.

"I might," Alex said with a smile that said she did indeed know of someone.

"Well, hypothetically, what does this person do?" Casey played along.

"She's an Assistant District Attorney," Alex said.

Casey laughed. "Anyone I know? What's she look like?"

"Blonde hair, blue eyes, and just a touch shorter than you," Alex described Serena.

Casey's expression changed immediately.

"Casey, what's wrong?" Alex asked.

"Look, Alex. I'm flattered. I really am. And I realize that you and Olivia aren't exclusive, but I'd rather not get on her bad side before I have a chance to get on her good side," Casey said quickly.

Alex laughed at her own faux-pas. _Southerlyn…you so owe me big._ "I'm sorry, Casey. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I didn't even realize that the description I gave sounded like I was describing myself. I've known her so long sometimes I forget how alike we really are, until someone confuses us for twins," Alex explained.

Casey looked relieved and then curious. "Wait. You said twin. As in _doppelganger_?" Casey asked as her mind flashed back to 24 hours earlier.

"I suppose. Why?" Alex replied, confused.

"There was this woman that came looking for you in my office yesterday. I'm pretty sure she called out 'doppelganger'," Casey explained. "Is she the one you're referring to? Because she's gorgeous," Casey asked hopefully.

_We have a winner_ Alex thought with a smile. "Her name's Serena Southerlyn. Let me get you her number," Alex said in response with a grin plastered on her face.


	19. Chapter 19

Tuesday, 12:00 pm, Squad room.

"El, let's go," Olivia said as she tossed Elliot his coat and walked out of the squad room like she was on a mission.

"Where're we going?" Elliot asked when he caught up.

"Lunch. I'm starving," Olivia grinned.

"But it's Tuesday," Elliot stated plainly.

"Nice work Sherlock. Anymore pearls of wisdom you'd like to share?" Olivia teased.

Elliot smiled at his partner's good natured ribbing. He liked seeing her happy. "I just meant that you usually go to lunch with Alex on Tuesdays."

"She's busy with the new ADA today," Olivia replied.

"So I'm your back-up plan?" Elliot asked pretending to be offended.

"Yep, pretty much," Olivia dead-panned as they entered the small diner.

Chuckling, Elliot said, "Okay. Just checking. Good to know where I stand with you."

After the two had placed their orders, Elliot began to play with some sugar packets.

"So, Liv, Kathy's been hounding me to get you to come over. And the kid's miss their Aunt Olivia. Tonight's pot roast night. Can you make it?" Elliot voiced with hope.

"Sorry El, I've already got plans to have dinner with Alex tonight," Olivia declined. "But soon, I promise."

"Okay. So is dinner tonight to make up for missing lunch today?" Elliot asked.

"No," Olivia replied simply.

"Oh," was all Elliot could come up with in response.

"Where do you take Kathy to dinner on special occasions?" Olivia asked seemingly out of no where.

"Why?" Elliot questioned.

"Because I want to go somewhere nice tonight," Olivia replied.

"What's the special occasion?" Elliot continued to question.

"What's with the twenty questions?"

He sat in silence just looking at her.

"Come on El. I know you're not that dense," Olivia said as she stared at him. "It's our first date," she finally conceded meekly.

"Whose first date?" Elliot asked genuinely befuddled.

"Mine and Alex's," Olivia said with a look that screamed 'duh'.

"You're going on a date with Alex?" Elliot asked. "Alex Cabot?"

"You don't have to pretend to be shocked. I know you know. I saw the notes in your notepad."

"You mean it's true?" Elliot said dumbfounded. "You're not just messing with my head?"

Olivia just looked at Elliot with her patented 'what the #' look.

"Well I'll be damned," he finally said. "They were right," he mused. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, Liv?"

"There was nothing to tell before. Things just recently developed at the cabin. I guess I have you knuckleheads to thank for that," Olivia laughed. "It's because of those notes that Alex and I talked."

"I'm happy for you, Liv. No one deserves a happy ending more than you," Elliot said sincerely.

"Thanks, El," Olivia smiled. "So you really didn't know?" Olivia asked.

Elliot shook his head sheepishly.

"That explains why you were acting so weird when you gave me a ride home last week," Olivia realized. "You really were thinking about lesbians, huh?"

Elliot still said nothing, but he began to blush, which made Olivia laugh.

"What about that voicemail you left when you invited me over for dinner. Who was the 'guest' you were implying I should bring? I could've sworn you meant Alex," Olivia questioned.

"Well, yea. I meant Alex. But that was Kathy's suggestion. She said you two were dancing around it so the invite could help it along. 'A woman just knows,' she told me," Elliot confessed.

"Hold on to her, Elliot. She's a smart woman," Olivia laughed. "I'll make you and Kathy a deal, El. If after I get through dinner with Alex tonight, she's willing to see me again, I'll mention your invitation."

Elliot smiled. A comfortable silence fell over the partners.

"You nervous?" Elliot asked.

Olivia nodded slightly.

"Don't worry, Liv. Whatever you do tonight, I'm sure it'll be fine," Elliot said reassuringly. "Besides, she agreed to go on a date with _you_, so she can't be expecting much," Elliot teased after a slight pause.

"Very funny," Olivia said dryly. "Now I _know_ for a fact you can relate…you got a woman like Kathy to be with your sorry self," Olivia teased right back.

"I'm just saying, Liv, the hard part's over – she already said yes. Just go and have fun tonight," Elliot said seriously.

"I guess you're right, but it's just…I mean… she's Alexandra Cabot. She's…," Olivia paused looking for the right word.

"Wow," Elliot cut in.

"Yeah, She's 'wow'," Olivia agreed dreamily.

"No, I meant, 'wow you've got it bad'," Elliot smirked.

His teasing was met with a balled up napkin being thrown in his face. Elliot chuckled.

"Liv, Cabot's been crushing on you for a while now, right?"

"Apparently," Olivia nodded with a self satisfied smirk.

"If you've got it this bad and you just figured it out, imagine how bad off she must be. She's probably over the moon and bouncing off the walls in excitement," Elliot assured.

"But that's exactly the problem – I don't want to disappoint her by not living up to expectations. She's used to things being done a certain way. You know as well as I do that the Cabot name comes with Cabot money," Olivia said dejectedly.

"You've been out with her before on non-dates, right?"

Olivia nodded.

"And she's never complained about anything like that before right?"

Another nod.

"Then she'll be happy just to be out with you. I'm sure of it."

Olivia smiled unsurely.

"Look, Liv, if you repeat a word of this, I'll deny it and make your life a living hell," Elliot smirked. "I'll admit that you're a pretty lucky woman to have scored a date with Alex Cabot," Elliot paused for effect, "but you're not the only lucky woman in that equation," he finished sincerely.

Olivia smiled a genuine smile this time. "Thanks, El."

* * *

Entering the squad room after lunch, Olivia moved to make a phone call. Elliot's pep talk had been just the upper she'd needed to put things into perspective. Elliot was like her big brother and best friend all in one. _Who else would I turn to besides my best friends,_ Olivia mused. _It's not like I can ask Alex what to do,_ Olivia laughed. _And_ i_t's not like I have so many siblings to turn to,_ she thought sadly. And that's when inspiration had struck. Settling in at her desk, Olivia picked up the phone and dialed.

The phone was answered midway through the fourth ring.

"Elysian Lounge. Stone speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hey Jo. It's me. How are you?" Olivia asked cheerily.

"Hi sweetie. I'm…suspicious," Jo answered.

"Why? What's going on?" Olivia asked, immediately concerned.

"Well, for starters, my little sis _never_ calls and now all of a sudden is asking me how I am," Jo answered with a smile.

"Am I _that_ obvious?" Olivia laughed.

"Not really, but I know you. So what's up?"

"I need a favor, Jo."

"Yeah, I got that part sweetie. What is it?" Jo asked again.

"Remember Alex…" Olivia paused.

"Ye-e-ss…" Jo sing-songed amusedly.

Olivia proceeded to recount the details of her weekend with Alex, their mutual feelings, and their impending date. She also confessed the little predicament she found herself in and finally asked Jo the favor she had been building up to.

"And I know it's a huge favor to ask, but you'd really be helping me out," Olivia said in a slightly pleading tone.

"Liv, it's _not_ too much to ask. You should know that. Besides, you're my family. Who else is gonna bug me for favors?"

"Thanks so much, Jo. I mean it. Thank you," Olivia said earnestly.

"Don't mention it sweetie. Just be happy. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye," Olivia said.

Hanging up the phone, Olivia thanked the powers that be that she had a surrogate big brother and big sister who were both so wonderful. A smile graced Olivia's face as her mind drifted to another wonderful woman in her life. She then set her mind to finishing her 5's so that she could get out of the precinct on time. The smile never left her face.


	20. Chapter 20

Tuesday, 5:00 pm, just outside the precinct.

As she walked out of the station house, Olivia pulled her cell phone out to confirm her reservations.

"Great, thanks. We'll be there in about an hour. See you then," Olivia said before hanging up.

Making her way over to the halls of justice, Olivia walked the familiar path towards Alex's office. As she walked up to the door to knock, she realized the door was closed and locked, and all the lights were out in the office. _I guess she forgot_ Olivia thought dejectedly. She hung her head and turned to leave, but her exit was abruptly cut off by a human wall. She quickly steadied herself and the other person and opened her mouth to apologize, but the other person spoke before she had the chance.

"Liv! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you. Actually, I was just about to call you again," Alex said hastily as she adjusted her attaché case.

Olivia said nothing as she waited for Alex to continue. She was sure Alex was going to say she was calling to cancel. Seeing the lost puppy dog look on Olivia's bruised face, Alex's melted. _She's so adorable._

"I was calling to remind you that my new office was across the hall from my old one. I called you a few minutes ago but it went straight to voicemail," Alex explained.

Olivia blushed at her mistake. _I totally forgot about her new office_. "Oh sorry, I must have been on the phone when you called," Olivia said. "So, are you ready to go or do you need to work late tonight?" Olivia asked, giving Alex an out in case she wanted to cancel after all.

"Are you kidding? I've been wanting to get out of this office all day. I've been buried with paperwork for the past 4 hours just to make sure I could leave at 5. _You_ owe me dinner, Detective," Alex poked her finger at Olivia playfully.

Olivia smiled a thousand watt smile as she realized that Alex really was excited to go out with her. "Shall we?" Olivia asked as she offered her arm to Alex after relieving her of the weight of her attaché. She shot Alex a look that said _I may be injured, but I'm still going to carry this for you._

"Lead the way," Alex smiled as she slid her arm into the crook of Olivia's elbow.

Exiting the halls of justice, Olivia hailed a cab, opened the door and gestured for Alex to enter. Alex settled into the cab happily. _I can't believe I'm actually going on a date with the valiant Detective Olivia Benson! I wonder where we're going. Who am I kidding! We could go to McDonald's and I'd be ecstatic_ Alex thought as she fought the urge to giggle girlishly.

Olivia gave her address to the driver and they were on their way. "The place we're going is pretty close to my apartment, so I figured we could drop off our stuff first," Olivia explained unnecessarily.

Alex nodded and said 'okay'.

The cab ride was quiet as Alex just pondered over the wonderful woman sitting next to her. Olivia on the other hand grew more and more nervous at Alex's silence. As the cab pulled up to her place, Olivia gathered Alex's attaché and purse. "You can just wait here if you'd like. I'll be right down."

Alex nodded and said 'okay' again.

Olivia looked at her quizzically but said nothing. Olivia quickly dashed upstairs and safely stowed away their belongings. A few minutes later, Olivia returned and gave the cab driver the address of their next destination.

Just a couple blocks later, the driver pulled over again. Olivia paid the fare and the two women exited. Alex never even noticed where they were headed; her mind was lost in 'Olivia-land' the entire time. Finally taking a look around, Alex had an amused smirk on her face.

"Liv?" she questioned.

"Yes?" Olivia responded with a nervous smile. Alex's silence was a tad unsettling, but her smile was warm enough to quell Olivia's frazzled nerves.

"I thought we were going to dinner," Alex stated as a question.

Olivia grinned mischievously. "We are," she said as she opened the door for Alex to enter.

Alex smiled her thanks as she wondered what Olivia was up to.

The two women walked into the establishment and were greeted by the proprietor.

"Good evening, ladies. Welcome to the Elysian Lounge…and Bistro. My name is Josephine and it will be my immense pleasure to serve you tonight. Right this way, please. Your table is ready," Jo said in an amused tone.

"Thank you, Josephine," Alex said playing along.

Olivia was beaming as she saw the lengths Jo had gone to for her.

The main room of the lounge was lit by white candles of every conceivable size on every flat surface that would allow. White roses adorned the edge of the stage as vases of red roses lined the walls. Only one table sat in the center of the room, covered by a red velvet cloth which was covered by a white cotton cloth. Two white tapered candles lit the table as a bottle of wine chilled nearby.

Olivia turned to see Alex's reaction and found her mouth hanging slightly open as tears threatened to fall.

"Alex?" Olivia questioned nervously. _I hope I'm not scaring her off._

Alex turned to Olivia as she blinked back her tears. "This is so beautiful," she gasped.

"You're beautiful." Olivia smiled warmly as she led Alex to the table and pulled her chair out for her.

Just as they seated themselves, Jo proceeded to pour two glasses of wine for the women. "Tonight, we have a wonderful Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir vintage 2006. I trust you will find it to your liking," she said.

Olivia smiled her thanks as Alex looked on amazed.

Jo returned shortly with their first course: pate de foie gras on crostini. The two women gazed affectionately at each other as they enjoyed the appetizer. Jo was so efficient in her service that the two women hardly noticed when she appeared to remove the empty plate. Returning with their second course, she announced proudly, "tonight's salad is an endive and walnut salad with a raspberry infused balsamic vinaigrette." Placing the two plates down, Jo quickly snuck off to the kitchen to let the women enjoy each other's company.

"A salad course?" Alex questioned as she raised an eyebrow. "How many courses are there?"

"Four," Olivia replied quietly.

Alex was genuinely surprised, but said nothing at first. Taking her first bite of the salad Alex was pleasantly surprised. "Wow, this is incredible. Did Jo make this?"

Olivia nodded. "She's classically trained in French cuisine. We met in Burgundy. She was there learning the ins and outs of French cooking when I was studying abroad in Europe. We were both native New Yorkers and we met and bonded and the rest is history," Olivia replied.

Alex nodded and accepted the answer, but she had an inkling suspicion that Olivia was holding back a part of that story. Not wanting to push Olivia, Alex changed the subject gracefully. The conversation flowed easily between the two women and they once again hardly noticed Jo's presence until she returned with the third course: beouf bourguignon with baby root vegetables served with a sourdough boule.

Alex was quite impressed by the meal which was complimented perfectly by the wine. "Jo did an incredible job with the menu. These are some of my favorite dishes," Alex said after a few bites of the entrée.

"She did a great job with the food, but I actually chose the menu," Olivia confessed.

"How did you know?" Alex asked.

"I pay attention," Olivia replied. "That morning at the cabin over breakfast, when we talked about your summer in Paris, you mentioned some of the cuisine you sampled there. I just stored away some of that information for later use," Olivia explained.

Alex smiled giddily. "You are _so_ thoughtful, Liv." _How did I get so lucky?_

Olivia blushed and said, "it was nothing." She averted her gaze with a shy smile. To Alex, Olivia resembled a classic cartoon character that shoved its hands in its pockets, kicked at the dirt, and said 'aw shucks'. Alex found it completely endearing. Alex's smile widened involuntarily as Olivia continued to blush under her gaze.

As the two women finished their meal, Jo reappeared with a carafe of coffee and dessert: a freshly made crepe suzette with berry compote and fresh cream. Polishing off the last bits of their meal, Alex excused herself, citing the need to 'freshen up'. Ever the gentlewoman, Olivia stood courteously as Alex walked away. Olivia saw the opportunity that had presented itself and took full advantage. She had been thinking about how to pull this off all night and was feeling very fortunate that this had just fallen in her lap.

When Alex returned to the table, she found two empty seats. Assuming Olivia as off in the kitchen with Jo, she sat down and waited patiently for the detectives return. As she settled into her seat and picked up her cup of coffee, the smooth sounds of a piano came from the direction of the stage. Looking up, Alex saw Olivia seated on the bench of the baby grand piano. Olivia's bronze skin was beautifully illuminated by the candle light that surrounded her on stage. Alex sat enraptured by the sight as Olivia began to sing softly.

_Every time I look at you the world just melts away_

_All my troubles all my fears dissolve in your affections_

_You've seen me at my weakest but you take me as I am_

_And when I fall you offer me a softer place to land_

_You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together_

_You're the one true thing I know I can believe in_

_You're all the things that I desire, you save me, you complete me_

_You're the one true thing I know I can believe_

_I get mad so easy but you give me room to breathe_

_No matter what I say or do 'cause you're too good to fight about it_

_Even when I have to push just to see how far you'll go_

_You won't stoop down to battle but you never turn to go_

_You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together_

_You're the one true thing I know I can believe in_

_You're all the things that I desire, you save me, you complete me_

_You're the one true thing I know I can believe_

_Your love is just the antidote when nothing else will cure me_

_There are times I can't decide when I can't tell up from down_

_You make me feel less crazy when otherwise I'd drown_

_But you pick me up and brush me off and tell me I'm OK_

_Sometimes that's just what we need to get us through the day_

_You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together_

_You're the one true thing I know I can believe in_

_You're all the things that I desire, you save me, you complete me_

_You're the one true thing I know I can believe_

As the last chords drifted into the air, Olivia turned to look at Alex. Their eyes locked and their gazes never averted as Olivia made her way off the stage and towards Alex.

Neither woman said anything initially; they just stood and gazed into each other's eyes. Eventually Alex broke the silence. "Liv, that was beautiful. I didn't know that you could play or that you could sing," Alex said in reverie.

Olivia blushed at the compliment. "I could've played better without the bandage on my wrist. And you've heard me sing before. In the shower at you cabin, remember?" Olivia joked modestly. Seeing the upraised eyebrow on Alex's face, Olivia returned to her serious self. "I never had a best friend growing up. I was a really quiet kid and I kept to myself a lot. I originally wrote that the night I realized that I actually did have a best friend. I wrote it when I realized how important you were to me…how much you've helped me…how you were there for me. I mean, yeah, Elliot's my best friend, but that's because we're partners and he's like a brother to me, and yeah, I've got Jo too, and she's the big sister I never had, but…you…you were different. When I realized that you helped me turn over a new leaf in life, I wrote that." Olivia stared at her hands and fidgeted as she said, "I changed some things though. I rewrote some parts of it last night when I realized that we were turning over yet another new leaf…together," Olivia confessed quietly without looking up.

Tears were threatening Alex's eyes once again. No one had ever done anything so sweet for her before. No one had ever given her such a beautiful gift. No one had ever made her feel this way. No one else came close. This was not only the best dates of her life…this was one of the best nights of her life.

The normally verbose attorney could not come up with a single word to express herself to Olivia. So she did the only thing she could. She didn't speak. She just reacted. She lifted her right hand and placed it under Olivia's chin. Gently, she guided Olivia's face up until their eyes locked again.

Olivia was nervous to see Alex's reaction, but as she looked deeply into her crystal blue eyes, she saw nothing but affection.

Alex broke the spell that had been cast upon both of them by gazing downward at Olivia's lips. Conscious of the attention, Olivia licked her lips out of nervousness as she felt her heart beating wildly. Not able to resist the magnetic pull, Alex moved slowly and closed the gap between them. The moment their lips met, the world around them ceased to exist. They were lost. Two women shared one thought. _I'm falling… _

* * *

The song that Olivia performed is "Push" by Sarah McLachlan. 


	21. Chapter 21

Wednesday. 2:00am. Olivia's Apartment.

Olivia Benson lay on her couch exhausted yet wide awake. Her mind kept replaying the events of the night over and over in her mind. After experiencing the most intimate kiss of her life, Olivia knew she could never get enough of Alex Cabot. She had bared a part of herself to Alex. It terrified her, but Alex's reaction was what dreams were made of. That kiss told her more than any words could say.

After dinner, they two women had taken a short stroll around the block before heading back to Olivia's apartment. Olivia was walking on air and Alex was as giddy as a school girl. They both reveled in the feeling of falling head over heels for your best friend.

Upon entering Olivia's apartment, Alex turned and teased Olivia. "You planned this so I would come home with you afterwards, didn't you? What kind of girl do you think I am?" Alex feigned offense.

Olivia laughed and teased right back. "The kind of girl whose mother has to remind her not to put out," Olivia said mischievously.

Alex couldn't help but laugh at Olivia's teasing and Olivia found Alex's laughter infectious. When the laughter died down, both women sat on Olivia's couch sharing a bottle of wine as they contemplated the implications of the situation they found themselves in. Olivia was the first to break the silence.

"Honestly, I didn't even think about the fact that this might make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry. I promise you - I'm not trying to rush things in any way. You're too important to me…_this_ is too important to me. I don't want to screw it up," Olivia said earnestly, looking into Alex's eyes as she clasped their hands together.

Alex was once again rendered speechless. _Is there anything less than perfect about her?_ Alex thought. _Nope_ she smiled as she answered her own question. She thought back to the perfect kiss they had shared. It was the ideal balance of give and take, of push and pull, of love and lust. Alex felt drawn to Olivia's lips once again. The memory of their first kiss made her want a repeat performance. Alex was pleased to find that Olivia had no objections.

"What was that for?" Olivia asked with a goofy smile after they broke the kiss.

"What you said…it was so sweet. I just…felt like it," Alex confessed happily.

"Well, feel free to do that every time you just feel like it," Olivia smiled. Olivia's open invitation was met by a small chaste kiss and a shy smile.

Silence fell over them again, but Alex was the one to break it this time. "This is important to me too, Liv. I think that as long as we keep an open line of communication, we won't screw it up."

"How are things going to be now, though?" Olivia asked slightly worried.

"You mean with the whole 'dating a friend' thing?"

"Yeah. And the whole 'working with someone you're seeing' thing," Olivia added. "I mean, it's like we have three separate relationships now. We're co-workers, friends, and now _this_," Olivia gestured between them, not quite knowing how to define what they were yet. She wanted to say 'girlfriends', but they'd only been on one date, and doing _that_ would _definitely_ be rushing things.

"Well, when we were just friends, we didn't let our working relationship influence our friendship, so I think we can apply a similar principle here," Alex responded.

"So we put the three versions of us in bubbles and isolate them?" Olivia asked in an amused tone.

"Sort of," Alex smiled. "We just some basic ground rules like 'no talking about work on a date' and 'no letting our romantic relationship affect our ability to do our jobs'."

"Makes sense," Olivia said, "but what about the friendship part?"

Alex smiled warmly at Olivia. "Liv, I think our friendship only serves to enhance both of our other relationships."

Olivia smiled at Alex words. "Good to know your expensive Ivy League education goes beyond legal ethics and into the ethics of inter-office romance."

"Speaking of inter-office…what are you going to tell the rest of the squad?"

"I'm just going to let Munch have his fun. If I tell him too much, he won't be able to form a conspiracy theory far removed enough from reality. And Fin won't bug me for details. He knows I'm not the type to kiss and tell," Olivia replied.

"And Elliot?"

"I already told him the truth. You should've seen the look on his face," Olivia laughed at the memory.

"Why was he surprised? I thought he had a list of evidence."

"Apparently, it was Munch's attempt at convincing Elliot," Olivia explained.

"I see. Well I'm glad they all seem to be taking it so well,' Alex smirked.

"Better than just well," Olivia laughed. "You should've heard the voicemail that the captain left me.

"You didn't tell me Don knew," Alex said amused.

"Does it matter?" Olivia asked

"No, things just make more sense now. This morning in his office, when I introduced him to Casey, he couldn't stop smiling at me. Afterwards, he hugged me. I've been here for years. That was the first hug I've ever gotten from him."

"Cragen hugged you?" Olivia said through her laughter.

"Like a proud papa," Alex replied laughing along with her.

"Speaking of proud papas," Olivia said. "Elliot mentioned that the kids were asking for their Aunt Olivia, so he and Kathy invited the two of us over for dinner. Would you be interested?"

"Sure. When?" Alex replied almost immediately.

"Is Saturday ok for you?"

"Sorry. I've got a family function to attend that night," Alex apologized.

"Okay," Olivia said trying to hide her disappointment.

"How about sometime next week?" Alex asked quickly. She hated seeing that sad expression on Olivia's face.

Olivia smiled as she looked up from under her heavy eyelids. "I'll check with Elliot, but yeah, next week sounds good."

"Okay. I should get going. It's getting pretty late and I can see your about to nod off," Alex replied as she stood up.

Olivia quickly placed a gentle hand on Alex's forearm. "Stay," she implored.

Alex looked shocked. True, she had previously spent the night with Olivia, but that was before they had crossed the line between friendship and something more.

Seeing the look of apprehension on Alex's face, Olivia realized an explanation was needed. "Take the bed, Lex. I'll take the couch. I meant what I said earlier. I don't want to rush into something and ruin it before we get a chance to figure out what 'it' is," Olivia stated with determination. "I just think it's too late for you to go across town. You've had a bit to drink and it's not safe out there. I worry, you know?" Olivia continued in a slightly pleading tone.

Alex was about to protest when she recognized the look on Olivia's face. Alex knew there was no way she was going to win this argument. "Are you ever off duty, Detective?" Alex joked.

"Nope. 'Protect and Serve' isn't just a professional oath you know; it's a personal mantra," Olivia smiled, knowing she had successfully argued her case. "Do ADAs have to take any kind of oath? Is there a mantra for you lawyer types?" Olivia asked curiously as she tried to suppress a yawn.

"Yes. 'I do so solemnly swear not to mix my legal briefs with my boxer briefs'," Alex chuckled.

"Very funny Cabot. So then what do you call this? We are, after all, mixing business with pleasure, in a sense."

"Loophole, Detective. Since I neither wear nor own boxer briefs, this is not a violation," Alex stated.

Olivia laughed as she playfully griped, "fancy talking lawyers."

"Yet another thing my Ivy League education allows for," Alex joked.

"But seriously though, is there an oath?" Olivia asked, genuinely curious now.

"Well, officers of the court do vow to uphold the law faithfully, _de fideli_, but I also have my own personal mantra," Alex said cryptically. "_Ad astra per alia porci_."

"To the stars on the wings of a pig," Olivia translated with an enigmatic smile. _I'll have to remember to ask for an explanation when I'm not so tired_ Olivia thought.

"You speak Latin?" Alex asked pleasantly surprised.

"I dabble in languages," Olivia smirked.

"How extensive if your repertoire, Detective?"

"Let's just say…I didn't need a translator when I lived in Europe."

"Anything you care to share at this time?"

"Yes," Olivia said through a yawn.

Alex waited patiently for Olivia to continue.

"Elalszik," Olivia grinned

"Meaning…" Alex prompted.

"It's Hungarian. Meaning: go to sleep!" Olivia chuckled.

Alex laughed. "Not very subtle with your hints, are you, Detective."

"Not when speaking with natural blondes," Olivia teased.

"Hey!" Alex objected as she struck at Olivia with a pillow she grabbed off the couch.

Olivia managed to wrestle the pillow away from Alex only to find herself being tickled by nimble fingers.

"I give. I give! You win," Olivia gasped.

Smirking, Alex placed a quick kiss on Olivia's lips before releasing her. "Lesson number one: I always win." And with that, Alex trotted off to get ready for bed, leaving an amused detective in her wake.


	22. Chapter 22

Wednesday. 6:30am. Olivia' Bedroom.

Alex began to stir at her usual time. Stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she smiled involuntarily. Her alert mind instantly flashed back to the night before – the night of the best date of her life. Reaching over to the night stand for her glasses, she found a note carefully tucked between the folded arms of her spectacles.

'_Good morning, Lex. I hope you slept well. I was called out to a scene last night/this morning, so you've got the place to yourself. You're welcome to anything you'd like from the fridge. Your toothbrush is in the medicine cabinet above the sink. There's a spare towel for you in the bathroom and feel free to raid my closet. I left you a spare set of keys on the kitchen table. Lock up when you leave and I'll see you later today. – Liv'_

Alex couldn't help by smile at Olivia's thoughtfulness. Getting out of bed, Alex shivered a bit at the cold. Opening the closet to look for a robe, she found one waiting for her. After wrapping it around her, Alex proceeded to look for something to wear.

Alex made the bed and went about her morning routine. After showering, she wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge to browse its contents. Deciding on a glass of juice, Alex sat at the table and thumbed the set of keys Olivia had left for her. Alex's mind drifted to a time when the keys might be a permanent fixture on her own keychain.

Finishing the last of her juice, she went in search of her attaché and purse. She located both which Olivia had considerately left by the end of the couch nearest the door so that Alex could simply grab them on her way out. _That woman is amazing_ Alex thought of Olivia's ability to make her feel so welcome.

Walking out the door with plenty of time to get the office, Alex made a mental note to find a way to thank Olivia.

* * *

8:30 am, The Halls of Justice

"Good morning, Casey. How was your night?"

"Quiet. I sat at home going over case files," Casey shrugged. "I hope yours was more exciting."

"Actually, last night was amazing," Alex said wistfully.

"That explains why you're in the same skirt as yesterday, although that is a different blouse," Casey said.

"It's Olivia's," Alex said casually.

Casey's expression displayed her surprise at the speed at which their relationship was progressing.

Alex took notice and decided to explain. Although she didn't actually owe Casey an explanation, she didn't want her second chair to lose respect for her based upon a misunderstanding.

"She was a perfect gentlewoman, Casey. She took the couch," Alex said with a knowing smile.

"It's none of my business, Alex," Casey said quickly as she blushed.

"I know you didn't ask. I just didn't want you to feel unnecessarily awkward around me or Detective Benson," Alex explained.

"Okay," Casey smiled. She was relieved that she hadn't offended Alex or crossed a line. It was her first week at SVU and she was still working out the kinks.

"So now that we've discussed my love life," Alex smiled coyly, "did you call Serena yet?"

Casey shook her head before explaining. "I want to make sure I actually have time to take her out properly before I call. I don't do anything halfway, so right now, getting acclimated to SVU is my priority. But rest assured, the second I feel stable on my feet here, she's getting a call from ADA Novak," Casey said with a grin.

Alex nodded her understanding. She smiled as she moved to enter her office. Three days after meeting Casey, Alex found that she was still learning more and more impressive details about her. Alex decided that, as Serena's best friend, she approved of Casey.

Casey entered her own office and proceeded to get to work. She wanted to get herself settled into her new job as soon as possible so she could ask Serena out before someone else scooped her up.

Back in her office, Alex picked up the phone to call her best friend. She was early so she decided that she had time for a quick phone call.

"Southerlyn," Serena said into the cell phone after the first ring.

"Hey Serena," Alex said brightly.

"Lexie! First of all, how was your date with the detective? And secondly, what's the deal with your second chair?" Serena blurted out.

Alex laughed at her friend's eagerness. "Meet me for lunch later and I'll fill you in on both counts," Alex said.

"Okay. What time?" Serena agreed happily.

"I'll come by your office around 12:30," Alex replied.

"Great. See you then."

* * *

11:50am.

Alex looked up from her desk when there was a knock on her door. She hadn't really been working though. She was lost in 'Olivia-land' and smiling absent-mindedly. "Come in," she called out. The sight of short brunette hair peeking into her doorway made her smile widen instantly.

"Hey Alex. Sorry you had to wake up to an empty apartment this morning," Olivia apologized.

"It's okay. Hazard of the job. I understand. Anything I can help with?" Alex asked hopefully. This was the first time today she got to see the woman who had been plaguing her thoughts and she wanted to draw out their time together as much as possible, even if it was about work.

"No. Munch and Fin are out chasing leads. I just wanted to stop by to apologize while I wait for the vic to wake up."

"Care to have a seat while you wait?" Alex gestured to the sofa hopefully.

Olivia shook her head with a kind smile. "Thanks but I can't. I'm actually here to take ADA Novak to lunch."

"Oh. Right," Alex said. She hadn't meant to let her disappointment shine through, but it had.

Olivia couldn't help her grin. "Are you jealous, Alex?"

"No," Alex shook her head innocently. It wasn't exactly the truth, but it answered Olivia's intended question honestly. She wasn't jealous that Olivia was having lunch with Casey, at least, not how Olivia thought; she was just slightly envious that Casey got to spend time with Olivia. She knew it was immature and juvenile, but she couldn't help it.

"Good. It's not like I go around dating all the ADAs I know. You've got nothing to worry about," Olivia said with a bright smile.

"I know," Alex answered with a knowing smile.

Olivia quirked an eyebrow up in response. "You know something I don't?"

"Maybe," Alex smirked. Her mouth said 'maybe' while her smile said 'definitely'.

"Care to share?" Olivia questioned.

"Not at this time, Detective," Alex teased.

"Okay then," Olivia chuckled at Alex's playfulness. "I'll call you later, Lex."

"Thanks for dropping by, Liv."

Both women smiled and nodded their goodbyes as Olivia ducked out the door and closed it behind her.

Olivia took the two steps needed to arrive at her next destination. She knocked on Casey's door just as she had done previously on Alex's, but this time, there was no reply. Olivia raised her hand and knocked again, this time, more forcefully.

A crash came from the other side of the door, which was followed by a mild expletive and a grunted 'come in'.

Olivia entered and saw that Casey was crouched on the floor gathering dropped case files that has presumably caused the crashing noise.

"I'm sorry, Counselor. I didn't mean to startle you," Olivia said as she immediately stooped to help Casey.

"It was my fault. I was distracted and the knocking brought me out of my daydream," Casey said. "And please, Detective, call me Casey."

"I won't call you Counselor, if you don't call me Detective," Olivia offered a friendly smile.

"What should I call you then?" Casey asked, standing upright.

"My friends call me Liv."

"Are you insinuating that we are friends?" Casey asked with a teasing smirk.

"Tentatively. You've got to earn it, but I'll allow it in the interim," Olivia teased right back.

"My friends call me Case," Casey smiled, "I'll allow you the same privilege you allow me."

"Alright then, Case. You ready for lunch?"

"Lead the way, Liv," Casey replied merrily.

* * *

12:10pm. Jack's Diner.

Olivia and Casey entered the small diner around the corner from the DA's office. Casey gestured towards a table and immediately moved to take her seat. The waitress smiled at Casey and brought a menu over for Olivia.

"Hey Case, how's the new job?" the very young waitress asked. She looked to be about 16.

"It's going well. This is one of the detectives I'm going to be working with," Casey answered while gesturing towards Olivia. "Jade, I'd like you to meet Detective Olivia Benson. Olivia, this is Jade Wynters – an old friend of mine," Casey introduced the two.

"Old? She's barely a teenager," Olivia directed her comment at Casey. "Nice to meet you, Jade," Olivia greeted the girl.

"Nice to meet you too, Ma'am. And I'm not 'barely a teenager'. I'm 19. I'm almost out of my teens," Jade defended herself good-naturedly.

"I stand corrected," Olivia said. "And please, I already feel old enough without you calling me 'ma'am'."

"Sorry…Detective," Jade smiled apologetically.

Olivia shook her head kindly as if to say 'it's ok' and said, "Call me Olivia."

"Okay. So what can I get for you today, Olivia?" Jade asked as she held her pen up over her notepad.

"What's good?" Olivia asked.

"What isn't?" Jade retorted.

Olivia laughed at the young woman's spunk. "Well, what's your favorite?"

"The Jade-Burger Special," Jade smiled proudly.

"Okay. I'll have a Jade-Burger Special," Olivia replied with a smile.

"Coming right up," Jade stated the well worn phrase with the ease that came with years of rehearsal. "And Case…the usual?"

Casey nodded with a smile and Jade turned and bounced toward the kitchen happily.

"The usual?" Olivia questioned.

"I dated the owner a few years ago and so I used to come here nearly everyday," Casey explained.

"I see. So that's how you know Jade?"

Casey nodded. "That…and she's the owner's daughter."

"So there's an actual guy named "Jack' behind Jack's diner?" Olivia asked.

"Not quite," replied an unfamiliar voice from behind Olivia.

Casey stood immediately and moved to hug a woman with short blond hair. "How've you been, Jack?" Casey asked after breaking the hug.

Olivia was speechless. 'Jack' wasn't at all what she expected. _So Casey's gay too huh? I would never have guessed._

Olivia had been expecting Jack to be a tall man in his 40's with kind brown eyes and a 5 o'clock shadow wearing an apron covered in grease. Instead, she saw a stunning woman in her mid to late 30s with blue-grey eyes who looked to be about 5'6".

"Life's been pretty good to me, Case. Jade told me you were out here with 'like…a total hottie'," Jack mocked her daughter's tone, "and so I had to come out here and see for myself," Jack said with a charmingly coy grin.

Casey laughed at her old friend's statement, while Olivia blushed furiously.

Jack extended her hand to Olivia as she introduced herself. "Jacqueline Wynters. Call me Jack."

"Hi, Jack. I'm Olivia. Nice place you've got here," Olivia said politely.

"Thanks. It's my pride and joy," Jack said.

"HEY!" Jade yelled as she appeared from behind with drinks for the women.

"Second to you, of course," Jack amended her previous statement as she ruffled her daughter's hair lovingly.

"That's better," Jade stated as she crossed her arms with mock indignation. She blushed as all the three older women laughed. She hadn't meant it to be funny, but even she had to admit in hindsight that it was pretty comical.

"Enjoy your meals, ladies," Jack said eventually. "It was nice to meet you, Olivia. And Case, I know you're busy, but don't be a stranger."

Casey smiled at the mother and daughter as they returned to the kitchen.

"So that's Jack, huh?" Olivia asked.

"Yep," Casey said cheerily.

"She reminds me of someone," Olivia said vaguely.

"Someone you know?"

"No."

"A celebrity?"

"Yeah."

"Sienna Miller circa 2005," Casey offered.

"No."

"Kiera Knightley in_Domino_?' Casey suggested.

"No."

Casey was quiet as she tried to think of another Hollywood type that her ex resembled.

"Laura Harris," Olivia said triumphantly.

"Who?" Casey asked.

"She plays Jill Bernhardt on _Women's Murder Club_," Olivia explained.

"Which one is that again?" Casey asked.

"The blonde-haired blue-eyed ADA," Olivia smirked.

"Oh. I definitely know who you're talking about now. Definitely my type," Casey responded with her own smirk.

Olivia raised her eyebrow in an 'oh really?' manner, so Casey continued.

"In fact, that's why I didn't hear you knocking earlier. I was plotting ways in which to woo my very own real-life blue-eyed blond ADA," Casey grinned as she thought of Serena.

Olivia's heart began to race. _Is this what Alex meant when she said she knew she had nothing to worry about? Is she seeing Casey and me at the same time?_ Olivia tried to stay calm.

Jade appeared suddenly with their plates. "One Jade-Burger Special," she said as she placed a plate in front of Olivia. "And one ADA Special," she said as she placed the second plate in front of Casey.

"Thanks, Hon," Casey said to the young girl before turning back to face Olivia.

"ADA Special, huh?" Olivia asked trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yep. Jack named it after her favorite ADA," Casey said referring to herself, "but apparently, Alex loves it too. Thanks for the info yesterday, by the way. Alex was impressed."

Olivia forced a smile as she kicked herself for helping her competition. _So that's why you wanted to bring Alex lunch…you're 'wooing' her_ Olivia thought. _Well I've got news for you…_

Olivia knew she had to remain civil. She kept reminding herself of her conversation with Alex when they agreed to keep personal relationships and work relationships separate.

"So you said you were plotting ways in which to court a blue-eyed blond," Olivia said, trying to keep her tone light.

"Yep. Any advice?" Casey smiled, not knowing what was going on in Olivia's head.

"What makes you think she's single or that if she's even looking?" Olivia asked smugly.

Not realizing she had yet to mention Serena by name, Casey replied, "Alex told me so yesterday over lunch."

"She did?" Olivia gasped in surprise.

"Yeah. She even gave me her number," Casey grinned.

"She what?" Olivia gasped again, this time, a bit louder.

At that very moment, two women entered. One was laughing animatedly at something amusing the other one had said. Casey, who was facing the door, took notice. "There she is," Casey said dreamily as she spotted Serena Southerlyn.

Olivia turned and she saw exactly what she was hoping not to see: Alexandra Cabot.


	23. Chapter 23

Wednesday, 12:30pm. Jack's Diner.

Jade moved quickly to greet Serena Southerlyn and Alex Cabot. She seated them a few booths down from where Olivia and Casey were situated.

"So Casey called me gorgeous, huh?" Serena asked smugly.

"Yeah. But give her a couple days before expecting a call. She's a bit busy with work," Alex said.

"You're her boss and my best friend. If you love me at all, go make her unbusy!" Serena ordered.

Alex laughed at Serena's eagerness. "I'm not the one making her busy. Turns out, she's quite the workaholic."

"Wow...brains and beauty…she's so…," Serena gushed.

"Easy there. You're drooling, Southerlyn," Alex teased.

"Speaking of drooling. How was you're date? You didn't put out did you?" Serena started to scold.

"No! I didn't! Geez. What's with you and my mom. I'm not easy!" Alex defended herself.

"We know. You're way too much of a lady," Serena said the last word in a stuck up tone. "That's why we tease."

Alex sneered.

"Hey isn't that her over there with Casey?" Serena asked.

"Okay Serena. You can stop teasing me now before I tell Casey you're a psycho," Alex half-warned with a chuckle. "My mom isn't here with Casey."

"No, Dork. I meant Olivia. Yeah, it's them. I wonder what they're talking about. Casey looks confused. Cabot, go over there and tell your detective that it's not nice to confuse the future mother of my children," Serena ordered playfully.

Alex smiled as she stood up, "I'm going to go say hi. I'll be right back."

When Alex was within earshot, she heard Casey ask, "Why are you so surprised, Liv? Alex seemed really happy about it. What's the big deal?"

Before Olivia could put her foot in her mouth, Alex moved into view. "Hi Casey," Ales said offering a smile. "Hey, Liv," Alex said as she looked at Olivia. At the look in Olivia's eyes, Alex had to give a double take. This was no longer the happy, loving detective that was in her office half an hour ago. This was the defensive and emotionally unavailable woman she had to deal with after particularly hard cases.

"What's wrong, Liv?" Alex asked, her tone laced with concern.

When Olivia didn't answer, Alex looked to Casey.

Casey shrugged. "I was just asking Liv for some advice on how to woo an ADA since her charms seemed to have worked on you so well," Casey explained.

"And why was that a bad thing, Liv?" Alex asked as she put a hand on Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia looked at Alex in complete confusion at a loss for what to say. The situation was completely awkward for Olivia. She was struggling to wrap her head around this twisted little love-triangle that was developing. She opened her mouth to speak, but only managed to make a noise similar to a squeak.

"Casey, what happened?" Alex nearly snapped. She wasn't mad at Casey; she was just becoming very concerned about Olivia.

Casey thought back to their conversation. "Well, we talked about the owner of this place, which led us to talk about some actresses, which led us to talk about the pursuit of blue-eyed blonde ADAs," Casey recounted.

"And that's when you asked for her advice on trying to date one?" Alex asked amused. She had just realized what was going on. Now, Olivia's current state made perfect sense. Olivia was jealous and trying to maintain her professional façade.

"Yeah," Casey said, confused at the smile on Alex's face.

"Casey, what happened yesterday when we spoke using those terms?" Alex asked expectantly.

The realization hit Casey like a ton of bricks and she burst out in laughter as Alex chuckled softly.

Olivia narrowed her eyes in confusion and anger. _Are they laughing at me?!_

Alex took a seat in the booth next to Olivia and grasped her hand tightly so that she couldn't pull away. "Olivia," Alex said patiently.

"Hmm," Olivia responded gruffly.

"Remember when you said I had nothing to worry about?" Alex asked with a smile.

"Uhm-hmm," Olivia said through her teeth.

"Well, neither do you, Liv. I'm not interested in Casey, and she's not pursuing me," Alex stated.

"But she said…," Olivia said barely able to contain her anger.

"I said," Casey interrupted, "that I was thinking about ways to woo 'my own ADA'. I'm not trying to move in on yours, Liv."

"But…," Olivia interjected.

"Do you remember seeing me here with a friend of mine last week, Liv?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. Serena. I remember because that was my mother's name," Olivia responded impatiently. "What does what have to do with anything?"

"Do you remember what she looked like?" Alex asked with a knowing smile.

"She looked…sort of like you," Olivia said.

"And do you remember how she introduced herself?" Alex asked patiently, waiting for Olivia to put two and two together.

Olivia contorted her face as she searched her memory banks. "ADA Serena Southerlyn," Olivia replied finally. Her face turned beet red as she looked at the amused expressions on the faces of both SVU ADAs.

"You want to date Serena," Olivia whispered.

Casey smiled at Olivia.

"I…I'm…," Olivia stuttered as she searched for something to say to reclaim a bit of dignity. She finally gave up and buried her face in her hands with an embarrassed groan. Through her hands, they heard a muffled 'sorry'.

"It's okay, Liv," Alex said. "You should've seen us yesterday when I was accidentally throwing myself at Casey."

"Yeah, and when I put my foot in my mouth trying to fend off her advances," Casey added. "Alex told me of your involvement, and I assure you, I'm no home-wrecker."

"Besides, she's my second chair. Who do you take me for? McCoy?" Alex joked.

Casey couldn't help but laugh and Olivia forced a small smile although she was still mortified.

"But in all seriousness, I wouldn't do that to you, Liv," Alex stated firmly, which she followed up with an innocent kiss on Olivia's knuckles. As an after thought, she whacked Olivia on the shoulder and said, "and _that's_ for thinking that I would."

Olivia blushed for many reasons, but managed to retort, "Careful, Lex, I'm still healing."

"I've been meaning to ask, but I didn't want to pry. Which perp caused those injuries, Liv? They look pretty serious." Casey asked.

It was Alex's turn to blush.

As Olivia laughed, Alex excused herself citing the need to return to her lunch companion. She didn't want to be there when Casey learned of the assault she had committed against a law enforcement officer.

Returning to the table where Serena was still perusing the menu, Alex seated herself quietly.

They sat in silence as Alex waited for the barrage of questions she was sure Serena had.

"Did you know there's an ADA Special here?" Serena said finally.

Alex gaped at her. "You're not going to grill me about what happened over there? Why Casey couldn't stop laughing. Or why I hit Olivia." Alex asked incredulously.

"Trouble in paradise?" Serena teased.

Alex narrowed her eyes.

"A, I don't need to grill you. You and I both know that you'll tell me sooner or later. B, The gift of hearing Casey's beautiful laugh is something I'm not about to question right now. And C, I don't even wanna know about whatever kinky thing you've got going on with Olivia," Serena replied without even looking up from her menu.

Serena didn't need to look up to know what look Alex was giving her. It was her 'you're such a little brat' look that Alex reserved for her and her alone.

"You're lucky I love you," Alex muttered.

"Nah, you can't help but love me," Serena retorted playfully.

The two ADAs enjoyed the rest of their lunch hour as Alex filled Serena in on the details of the best date of her life. Serena listened intently, but rushed Alex though her story a bit. She wanted to hear more about Casey, and Alex took no offense. Alex knew what it was like to be that smitten. And if she really thought about it, she was still that smitten over the detective, regardless of how often they embarrassed themselves.


	24. Chapter 24

Wednesday, 5:10pm, Alex's office.

Olivia entered Alex's office sheepishly. She was still feeling a bit embarrassed about what had happened at lunch. She had smoothed things over with quite Casey easily. Casey had apologized for the misunderstanding and explained that she completely understood the confusion because she had made the same mistake the day before with Alex. They even agreed to meet the next morning for a run in the park.

Now, Olivia wanted to make sure things were still alright between Alex and herself. They were only just starting out, and she wanted to make sure they kept on the path they had set last night. She was afraid that her behavior had jeopardized things.

"Hey, Lex," Olivia called out as she stood with the door behind her.

"Something I can do for you, Detective?" Alex asked without looking up.

_Ouch. I'm back to being 'detective'. I must've screwed up worse than I thought. Cabot cold shoulder is back. _"I was just wondering if you could use a drink as much as I could," Olivia ventured hopefully.

Alex head shot up with a look the asked '_Seriously_?'

"Sorry. Stupid idea. I'll just go now," Olivia back tracked. "Good night, Counselor."

"Night?" Alex blinked. "Olivia, what on earth are you talking about?" Alex looked up at Olivia, clearly confused. She noticed Olivia's crestfallen expression, which confused her even more. Alex turned her head and spied the clock behind her. "Is that the time?" Alex asked dumbfounded.

Olivia nodded.

"I completely lost track of time writing all these opening arguments. I'm so glad I've got Casey to pile things on now," Alex joked tiredly.

Olivia smiled slightly despite her downtrodden emotions. She wanted to run over to Alex and embrace her but due to the icy reception she received earlier, she remained standing by the door. Olivia felt nervous under Alex's gaze. She shoved her hands into her pockets to prevent herself from fidgeting.

"Off the clock?" Alex asked.

Olivia nodded but still said nothing.

"Good. Come in, close the door," Alex stated, still using her ADA voice. "And make sure it's locked, Detective," she added after a second.

Olivia obeyed the request solemnly. She turned around expecting Alex to scold her over her unprofessional behavior, especially where Casey was concerned. Instead, she felt herself being pulled toward the couch by a bubbly blond.

While Olivia was closing and locking the door, Alex had kicked of her heels and bounded across her office towards the brunette.

Collapsing onto the couch, Olivia found herself tangled up in Alex's limbs in an impromptu cuddling session.

"So how was your day, Liv? Why are you in need of a drink?" Alex asked suddenly full of energy.

Olivia struggled to sit upright and look Alex in the eyes. The cold icy exterior she saw five minutes ago was gone. Alex was smiling and relaxed. _I think I just walked into the twilight zone…_

"Liv, why are you looking at me like that?" Alex asked amused. "Is my make-up smeared? Did I accidentally write on my face?"

"You're not mad?" Olivia asked, ignoring Alex questions.

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because I pretty much flipped out on you and Casey at lunch," Olivia said as if it were obvious.

"That's you 'flipping out'?"

"Well, I admit, it could've been a lot worse, but I handled that situation all wrong. I was letting my personal feelings compromise my professionalism. I broke the 'bubble rules'. I was idiotic. I was basically a petty, jealous, incontinent Neanderthal. If you hadn't showed up when you did, who knows what I would've said to Casey," Olivia expelled in one breath.

"Bubble rules?" Alex asked amused.

"Of all the things I just said…that's what you heard?" Olivia said disbelievingly.

Alex chuckled as she sat up and leaned her head on her arm, which was resting on the back of the couch. "Liv, in a completely twisted way, I kind of enjoyed the fact that you were jealous of Casey. 'Neanderthal' as it was," Alex teased.

"So that didn't scare you away or freak you out?" Olivia asked.

"Not in the least," Alex assured. "I have waited a long time for this. I'm not going to scare off easily," Alex squeezed Olivia's hand reassuringly. "And regardless of whether or not you 'flip out', Liv, we've been friends for a while now, and I know you, and I know who you are, and I know what's in your heart. I'm not going to judge you based on one incident when we have a whole colorful history for me to go off of."

"There's that Ivy League shining through again," Olivia said with a small smile.

Alex smiled warmly. "Besides, if I tried to count the times I've been jealous when it came to your dealings with someone else, I'd probably need an abacus."

"Really?" Olivia asked genuinely surprised.

"Really," Alex stated with a reassuring smile.

"Wow. I never knew."

"That's because I'm not a Neanderthal," Alex joked.

"Aa-lleeex," Olivia said, trying to use her warning tone. Instead, it came out slightly whiny with a hint of amusement.

"Hey...since when do Neanderthals use words like 'incontinent'?" Alex continued.

Olivia laughed despite herself. "So the tables have turned. Is this revenge for all the teasing I subjected you to?"

Alex nodded. "The only reason I didn't tease back then was that I was way too self-conscious about showing my feelings for you."

"And now I'm the one self-conscious and worried about your feelings for me," Olivia griped.

"Yep. Now that it's out there, I tease while you blush," Alex stated.

"I guess it's only fair," Olivia chuckled.

"Indeed," Alex smiled playfully.

"Like I said last night, I'm just worried about screwing this up, you know? The personal _or_ the professional."

"You're not. And as for the personal affecting the professional, I talked to Casey and she told me everything was fine. Besides, it was the lunch hour…you were off the clock," Alex rationalized. "I'm not mad, Liv. I promise. I never was."

"So then why did you call me 'Detective' when I walked in?" Olivia asked.

Alex looked at her blankly. "Because…you're a Detective," Alex said as the smirk on her face grew.

"Oh," Olivia said as she looked away to hide her embarrassment. "I thought you were giving me the cold shoulder," she confessed meekly.

"All because I called you by your professional title…at work?".

Olivia nodded. "That…and you refused my drink invitation like it was ridiculous."

"I'm sorry about that. I thought it was just past 3 o'clock or so, hence the professional tone. And so, yeah, the drink invitation did seem a bit out of place," Alex explained.

"Oh."

"What brought this on, Olivia?" Alex questioned curiously. She had never known the strikingly beautiful and impressively intelligent woman to be anything but confident.

"I was thinking…," Olivia said.

"You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Alex mocked.

Olivia tried to glare at her, but to no avail. Alex was just too adorable.

"Sorry. It was just too easy," Alex said. "You were saying?" she prompted.

"I was thinking about what happened during lunch and I just couldn't stop thinking about it," Olivia said.

"And so you over thought it and came to those completely ridiculous conclusions," Alex stated rhetorically.

Olivia nodded meekly.

Alex chuckled softly at Olivia's misfortune. "You know, for someone who is such a great detective, you're terrible at figuring out what's going on in your own life," Alex teased.

Olivia tried to be offended by Alex, but she just ended up laughing right along with her. "You're right," Olivia conceded.

"Lesson number two: I'm always right," Alex smirked cockily.

"How many lessons are there?" Olivia chuckled.

"We have only just begun, Grasshopper," Alex said, causing Olivia's chuckle to become outright laughter. Alex smiled, "Now, how about we go get that drink?"


	25. Chapter 25

You can all thank Raheema for this chapter, who messed up my sleeping schedule and then basically ordered me to update. This is the result of not being able to sleep. : -)

* * *

Wednesday, 5:30pm. 

"So where did you want to go grab that drink? You pick tonight," Olivia prompted Alex as they walked out of the Halls of Justice.

"Why don't we go see Jo? I didn't get the chance to properly thank her for preparing all that wonderful food last night," Alex said.

"I don't know, Alex," Olivia said warily. "Two nights in a row and she might start thinking I actually like her," she joked.

Alex laughed as she joked back. "No, she might think _I_ like her," she said with a wink.

"She knows better," Olivia said cockily. "Besides, I've thanked her plenty."

Alex raised an eyebrow in question.

"She's having some indie band play there next week, and I promised to talk to a friend of mine about being the emcee and opening act," Olivia explained.

"Well _you_ thanked her, but _I_ want to thank her too, so let's go," Alex said as she tugged on Olivia's coat.

The two women hailed a cab and arrived at The Elysian Lounge about a half an hour later.

"Hey you two! Back so soon?" Jo said as soon as she spotted the fledgling couple entering her establishment. It was still early in the night, so the lounge was still relatively empty.

"Wasn't my idea," Olivia said as she held up her hands.

"I guess I know who the brains of this outfit is," Jo said as she winked at Alex.

"Well I'm certainly not the brawn," Alex said jovially.

Jo laughed at Alex's playfulness. "I knew there was a reason I liked you. What's a classy girl like you doing with somebody like Liv anywhow?"

"Eh, she's not so bad," Alex said casually.

"I'm still in the room, you know," Olivia joked in her own defense.

"Well then go into the kitchen and make yourself useful. I want to have a chat with Alex," Jo ordered half-seriously.

With the obligatory grumbling, Olivia made a spectacle of marching off into the kitchen.

Alex stood nervously as she wondered what Olivia's 'big sister' wanted to 'chat' with her about.

Jo chuckled as Olivia left and turned to see Alex trying not to look nervous. This caused the petite woman to chuckle even more. "Relax Alex. This is not the 'if you hurt her, you're dead' talk," Jo said with a knowing smile.

"I am relaxed," Alex said quickly, although the fact that she was visibly relieved betrayed her statement. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I just thought it might be nice for us to get to know each other a bit," Jo said. "I'm sure Olivia has told you nothing about me," she grinned causing her green eyes to sparkle a bit.

"You know her well," Alex commented. "So how did you two meet?" Alex asked the question that had been bugging her subconscious for a while now.

"We met in France. We were both going through a lot of soul searching. She was dealing with issues with her mother and her sexuality, and I was coping with putting my life back together," Jo explained patiently as she waited for the questions she knew Alex would have about Olivia. To her surprise, Alex steered the conversation away from Olivia.

"What happened to you? If you don't mind me asking," Alex said.

"I don't mind at all. I've healed since then. I was assaulted by two men because I was being openly affectionate towards a woman I was with," Jo confided.

"I'm sorry. I can see where Olivia fit into that. She's great with helping victims," Alex smiled.

"She is. But I'm not a victim. I'm a survivor," Jo said with conviction.

"Indeed you are," Alex replied.

"I've gotta say, I'm surprised you want to hear about me. I figured you would ask me about Liv," Jo confessed.

"I'll admit, I'm more than curious, but I don't want to break any kind of confidence you and her share. I also know that she'll open up to me when she's ready. I'm not going to rush her," Alex said.

Jo stood with her hands on her hips with her head cocked to the side, as if she were inspecting Alex. It was quite the sight to see. Jo was 5'2" at best and yet she managed to intimidate the statuesque Alexandra Cabot.

"I said I liked you…but now I _approve_ of you," Jo said finally. "Come here," she said with her arms open. "You deserve a hug for that."

Alex chuckled as she accepted the hug from a woman she hoped would be akin to her sister-in-law one day.

As they hugged, Jo whispered happily into Alex's ear, "and if you hurt her, you're dead," causing Alex to giggle. Alex could definitely see why Olivia was so fond of Jo.

"Hands of the merchandise, Blondie!" came a booming order from the entrance to the lounge.

"Kate! What are you doing here?" Jo asked surprised. She was feeling conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she was happy to see her girlfriend, and on the other, she was annoyed at the jealous outburst.

"I came to see you! Obviously, you're busy," Kate said obnoxiously.

"You must be Jo's girlfriend. I'm – ," Alex interjected, hoping to quell any brewing argument. Unfortunately, Kate didn't give her the chance.

"I don't care who you are. Get your hands off what's mine!" Kate shouted, grabbing Alex forearm and yanking her harshly.

Alex froze, not knowing what to do. She looked at Jo for help who was glaring at Kate.

At the commotion, Olivia had emerged from the kitchen. Seeing Alex's pained expression, Olivia immediately became concerned. Moving closer, she saw an unfamiliar woman gripping Alex's arm. Switching into cop mode, she twisted the woman's arm behind her back. The woman yelped in pain and immediately released Alex. Olivia held her down on a nearby table as she looked Alex over for any injuries. She appeared to be alright.

"What the -…get off me!" Kate shouted.

"Kate?" Olivia asked surprised as she recognized the voice.

"Yeah. What do you think you're doing, Olivia?" Kate grunted as she shrugged the pain out of her shoulder as Olivia released her.

"You were assaulting an officer of the court," Olivia stated with authority.

"Well the 'officer of the court' was wrapped around my girlfriend," Kate said defiantly. "I was just giving the blonde floozy a stern warning."

"Watch your mouth. I really doubt my girlfriend and Jo are involved, Kate," Olivia spat. Her annoyance was growing exponentially. _Don't you dare disrespect Alex._

"Liv, why don't you take Alex into the back room and make sure she's okay. Kate and I have some things we need to discuss," Jo spoke up.

"Yell if you need me," Olivia said. She directed her comment at Jo while glaring at Kate.

Olivia guided Alex carefully into the small room to make sure she was alright. "Did she hurt you? Sit down on the counter. I'll go grab the first aid kit," Olivia blurted out quickly.

"Olivia, I'm fine. I might get a bruise, but she didn't do any real damage," Alex said smiling brightly as Olivia helped her onto the counter.

"Why do you look so happy about getting a bruise?" Olivia asked confused by Alex's expression.

"I'm not," Alex said, still smiling.

"Then why are you grinning from ear to ear?" Olivia questioned again while allowing Alex to pull her to stand in front of the blond.

"I can't help it," Alex said as she smiled down at Olivia from her perch. She rested her forearms on Olivia's shoulders and interlocked her fingers behind the brunette.

"Why?" Olivia asked, her face showing her confusion.

"You called me your girlfriend," Alex sing-songed.

Olivia blushed and looked down. "I guess I did. I'm – ."

"Don't you dare apologize for making me happy, Detective," Alex said warmly, cutting off Olivia.

"You're okay with it?" Olivia asked as she looked up from under her bangs.

"More than okay with it," Alex said as she placed her finger tips under Olivia's chin to tip her face upward.

Allowing her movement to once again be guided by Alex, Olivia moved even closer and closed the space between them.

Alex placed a small kiss on Olivia's lips before attempting to deepen it. Much to her chagrin, Olivia pulled back. Resting her forehead on Olivia's, Alex released a frustrated sigh.

Olivia chuckled at Alex's frustration. Not that she didn't want to make out with Alex, she just felt there was more to talk about first. "We've only been on one date. You don't think we're moving too fast?" she questioned.

"Olivia. Shut up and kiss me," Alex ordered.

Chuckling, Olivia said, "Question answered," before losing herself and giving in to what both women wanted.

Eventually feeling the need for air, the women broke their heated kiss. Struggling to regain her composure, Olivia managed to ask, "Are you always so demanding?"

"Only when I need to be," Alex murmured against Olivia's lips trying to kiss her again. Olivia's chuckling hindered the process.

"And what makes you think demanding what you want will get you anywhere with me," Olivia challenged amusedly.

"Are you going to make me repeat myself?" Alex asked pointedly.

At Olivia's silence, Alex pulled back fully to look Olivia straight in the eyes. "Olivia, shut up and…," she began to reiterate.

"Yes ma'am," Olivia interrupted before happily complying.

Eventually pulling apart again, Alex spoke, sounding appeased. "Glad to see you're learning quickly, Grasshopper. Lesson number three: I always get what I want." And with that statement, Alex captured Olivia's lips once again and was happy to find there was no resistance.


	26. Chapter 26

For forgotten-serenity, piecesofyourheart, and Raheema, whose commentary, reviews, and messages made an otherwise horrible day bearable.

* * *

Wednesday, 6:30pm, The Elysian Lounge. 

Jo entered the back room of her business to check on Alex and make sure she was alright. What she saw when she opened the door, was enough to make her clamp here eyes shut and slam the door.

"I _so_ did _not_ need to see that!" Jo yelled through the door.

Sometime during the embrace, Olivia's hands had gone from bracing herself on the edge of the counter, to sensually exploring Alex's hips and thighs. Alex's hands, which were originally draped over Olivia's shoulders, had tangled themselves up in Olivia's hair which served to help both women deepen the kiss.

Breaking away from Alex with a frustrated huff, Olivia chuckled and said, "Sometimes I wish I had siblings. _This_ is _not_ one of those times."

Alex smiled as she leaned on Olivia's shoulders to hop down from the countertop. "Come on, Liv. We'd better go make sure everything's alright."

Protesting mildly, but wanting to make sure Kate had simmered down from her earlier outburst, Olivia allowed Alex to pull her out of the small room and into the main area to look for Jo.

They found her by the register. She seemed to be going through some receipts and invoices. Kate was no where to be seen.

"Everything okay, Jo?" Olivia asked when she was close enough to not have to shout.

"Everything's peachy," she replied in a melancholy voice. "Good news Baby Sis. I'm single and loving it," she informed with a heartbreaking mix of sarcasm and sadness.

Immediately, Olivia wrapped her protective arms around her sister's shoulders.

"What happened?" Alex and Olivia both asked, concerned about Jo.

"Does it matter?" Jo replied with her own question.

"No," Olivia responded.

"You deserve better, Jo," Alex added.

Jo chuckled. "Yeah, that's what I said." She shook her head in disgust. "My figurative slap in the face earned me a real one."

"I'll kill her," Olivia growled. "Where is she?" she demanded, moving toward the door.

"Liv. No. 'An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind'," Jo quoted.

"Jo. I didn't say I wanted to poke her eye out. I said I was gonna kill her," Olivia said, trying to make Jo smile.

Jo did more than just smile; she laughed out loud. "Smartass," she muttered. "She's on a plane back to Chicago."

"Good riddance," Olivia stated.

"She said she's going back to men," Jo chuckled.

"Good riddance," Alex declared.

At that, all three women laughed.

Jo turned to Alex and held out a hand which Alex immediately grasped in her palm. "I'm sorry about earlier, Alex. I've never seen her that way before."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Jo. None of that was you fault," Alex reassured sincerely.

"She's changed a lot," Olivia commented. "Her hair…her clothes…her attitude."

"Especially her attitude," Jo agreed. "She never used to be so jealous or possessive. And she definitely wasn't violent before."

"I don't know what she was like before," Alex said, "but the woman I just encountered was a complete Neanderthal," she finished, with a wink at Olivia causing her to laugh.

"Look, I know you said not to apologize, but I still want to make it up to you," Jo said to Alex. "Why don't you come to the show next week? I'll get you backstage," she offered.

"I'll be there," Alex agreed, "but only because it's a great excuse to see you again."

"Please, sweetie. You don't need an excuse. I told you before: you're welcome here anytime," Jo smiled warmly at Alex.

Alex returned the smile as Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's waist from behind.

"You…and your 'girlfriend' too," Jo amended her statement teasingly.

"You heard that too, huh?" Olivia blushed.

"Liv, France heard you. And from the display I saw in my back room, she damn-well better be your girlfriend. I won't have my sister making out with a 'blonde floozy' unless she's making an honest woman outta her," Jo teased both women.

Enjoying the blush that made its way to both faces, Jo looked up at them and declared, "It's time to celebrate. I'm free and you two are disgustingly cute. Hand me a shot glass and I'll drink to that!"

Olivia gathered three shot glasses after handing Alex a bottle from Jo's private stash of tequila.

"To our own personal bull dog," Jo said as she raised her glass in toast.

"To our guard dog," Alex chuckled raising her own glass.

"Why are you calling me a dog?" Olivia pretended to be offended while she blushed at the praise.

"It could be worse," Jo said as she downed her drink. Laughing, Alex and Olivia followed suit.

The three sat and chatted for the next hour or so until the evening rush came and Jo got up to get to work.

"I never got the chance to really thank you earlier for coming to my rescue," Alex realized. "Thanks, Liv."

"Just doing my job, Ma'am," Olivia said as she tipped her imaginary cap.

Alex smiled at the display. "I kind of froze and didn't know what to do. Usually, I can manage on my own, but it was Jo's girlfriend, so I didn't know what to do."

"Usually? Does that happen often?" Olivia asked.

"Often enough," Alex replied.

"Well rest assured that you guard dog will come to your rescue," Olivia teased, using Alex's words.

"Are you implying that I can't take care of myself, Detective?" Alex teased back.

"Of course not. I have the utmost confidence that you can take down an assailant. Maybe even give them a black eye," Olivia alluded to her own injury, which was healing nicely.

Alex laughed at Olivia's tongue-in-cheek comment. "Maybe Jo and I didn't give you enough credit. Maybe you're not all brawn. You got lesson four all by yourself."

"I did, did I? And what's lesson four?" Olivia asked as she leaned in for the kiss that usually followed her 'lessons'.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Alex said as she turned her head so that Olivia's kiss landed on her cheek. "Keep talking."

Olivia couldn't help but laugh at Alex's playfulness.

The two smitten women sat chatting and canoodling until about 9 o'clock, when Alex informed Olivia of her intended departure. The ambitious ADA still needed to tie up some loose ends before the morning. She was scheduled to be at an evidence suppression hearing at 9am and she wasn't going to allow the defense to tank her case. Begrudgingly, Olivia hailed Alex a cab and bid her a goodnight.

"The little woman leave you here all by your lonesome?" Jo asked when she saw Olivia enter alone.

"I don't know how you get away with calling her 'little'. She's at least half a foot taller than you," Olivia chuckled.

"Oh it's easy, Sweetie. It's the same way I can get away with calling you 'Baby' sis when we're only a few months apart," Jo stated casually.

Olivia laughed at Jo's comment. She really had to hand it to her though, Jo was something else. No one would have imagined that, mere hours ago, she had ended an almost 2 year relationship. Marveling at her sister's inner strength, Olivia asked, "How do you manage to keep it all together, Jo?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you never let anything get to you."

"Oh…that. I live up to my name," Jo joked. "Heart of 'stone'," Jo laughed at her own bad pun.

Shaking her head, Olivia retorted, "Or head full of rocks."

That comment earned Olivia dish duty in the kitchen.

Jo knew Olivia well enough to know that the brunette was sticking around to make sure she was doing alright. Jo also knew that the best way to convince Olivia of that, was to be the 'annoying' older sister. It was their routine, and both women wouldn't have it any other way. So as Olivia did the dishes, Jo 'annoyed' her with questions about Alex Cabot.


	27. Chapter 27

Thursday, 6:15am, The running park near Casey's apartment.

Olivia and Casey had decided to have their morning run near Casey's apartment since it was closer to both the DA's office and 16th precinct.

"So how has your first week with SVU been?" Olivia asked as she and Casey both paused to re-hydrate.

"It's been quite an adjustment from White Collar, but it's been a welcome change," Casey replied thoughtfully.

"Were you surprised when the DA told you of the placement?" Olivia asked curiously. _What's your story?_

She wanted to know more about this young woman. She seemed a bit naïve, so Olivia felt the instinct to protect her; but she also seemed to be a quick learner with a backbone. Olivia found her incongruous nature intriguing. In addition, Alex spoke highly of her, and Olivia trusted Alex's judgment implicitly.

"I wouldn't say surprised. I listed SVU as a transfer option a while ago, so when I got word of a promotion, I was ecstatic," Casey replied.

"You requested SVU?" Olivia asked surprised.

"Yeah. I would've been happy to transfer in, but to get promoted…that was a dream, and working directly under Alexandra Cabot…well," Casey shrugged happily.

Olivia was impressed by the young upstart. Only a very special breed of person could withstand special victims' cases. The fact that Casey had requested SVU intrigued Olivia. Every detective in the unit had a personal interest vested in their work there. She wondered if this trend held true with ADAs as well. They resumed jogging at a leisurely pace in order to continue their conversation.

"Yeah. She's something else isn't she?" Olivia stated more than asked. She didn't bother to suppress the giddiness that the mere mention of her girlfriend caused.

"She's been great. I take it things are going well between you two," Casey postulated.

Olivia nodded happily. "How's it going with Serena?"

"Nothing's going on yet. But I'm planning on calling her sometime today. I just hope I find the time," Casey responded.

Just then, a woman came running around the corner. Olivia managed to dodge quickly out of the way, but Casey slammed right into her.

"I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" Casey asked quickly as she helped the young woman up.

"I'm okay. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she said as she looked down and dusted her self off. "You okay?" she asked, removing the earbuds of her mp3 player from her ears and finally looking up.

"Serena?" Olivia asked surprised.

"Hi!" Serena said brightly.

"Hey. How are you?" Olivia asked.

"I'm doing alright. Thanks for asking," Serena replied.

"Do you run here every morning?" Olivia continued.

"Usually I jog with Alex in Central Park, but she ditched me today, so I just decided to come here since it's closer to my place," Serena explained.

"I didn't know you lived around here," Casey spoke up.

"Yeah. The complex just up the street," Serena gestured towards her building.

"I just moved in there a little while ago," Casey said.

"Really? Which floor are you on?" Serena asked.

"Third. You?" Casey replied.

"Fourth," Serena smiled flirtatiously. "Looks like I'm on top of you."

Olivia peered at the two women and smiled to herself. Wanting to atone for her behavior with Casey yesterday at lunch, Olivia thought quickly. "You two stay here. I'm gonna go get us all some more water," she said as she gestured behind herself with her thumb. _Go get your girl, Case!_ Olivia thought as she jogged the path back the way she came.

"We haven't been formally introduced," Casey said extending her hand. "I'm Casey Novak."

"Serena Southerlyn," she replied shaking the proffered hand.

"I'm sorry about slamming into you like that," Casey apologized again.

"Don't worry about it. It was my fault anyway. I wasn't paying attention because I was fussing with my mp3 player," Serena said.

"What were you listening to?" Casey asked, trying to get useful information with which to win over the beautiful homicide ADA.

"Oh, umm, Tegan and Sara," Serena confessed. "Have you heard of them?" She flushed slightly from embarrassment. _Of course I had to be listening to lesbians when she asked that._ Serena thought sarcastically.

"Heard of them? I love them," Casey replied. "Looks we have something in common."

"Besides the whole ADA thing," Serena commented.

"Right," Casey smiled. "Look, let me buy you lunch to make up for nearly mowing you over."

Serena cursed her luck. "I can't. I have to be in my office during lunch. I've got a conference call meeting."

"Not a problem," Casey smiled enigmatically.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked curiously.

"Oh nothing. I hope the call goes well," Casey replied.

The two ADAs heard footsteps approaching. They looked over and saw Olivia sauntering up the path holding three icy cold water bottles. Olivia handed each woman her own.

"Thank you, Olivia," Serena said politely.

"Don't mention it," Olivia said. Turning her head, she directed her next comment to Casey. "I've gotta get to the station house soon."

Casey nodded before turning to address Serena again. "Have a wonderful day Ms. Southerlyn."

"The same to you, Ms. Novak," Serena replied playfully.

"Bye Serena," Olivia said.

"Nice to see you again, Olivia," Serena said.

With those parting words, Serena took off running again.

Olivia and Casey made their way back to Casey's apartment chatting idly. Casey didn't need to rush to get ready because she still had over an hour and a half before she was expected to be at work. Olivia wasn't in too much of a rush either. She had plenty of time and was sure she'd still be the first to arrive at work even if she was late. She had brought a duffel bag with a change of clothing and had planned on getting showered and ready for her day in the locker room at the precinct. Casey, however, insisted that Olivia get ready in the privacy of Casey's apartment, so both women were content to take their time that morning and chat for a bit while they walked.

"Hey Liv, I was wondering if you knew what Alex's plans were for lunch today," Casey said out of nowhere.

"Umm. As a matter of fact, I do. She mentioned something about being in judges chambers all morning today, so she just wanted to lock herself in her office for lunch," Olivia replied. "Why?"

"Does she like Chinese?" Casey asked ignoring Olivia's question.

"Yeah. Casey, what are you plotting against my girlfriend? I can almost see the wheels turning in your head," Olivia said warily.

"Girlfriend?" Casey said almost immediately as she was shaken out of her plotting.

Olivia blushed as she nodded. She loved the feeling of calling Alex her girlfriend. Just saying the word made her smile involuntarily. She wanted to jump up and down and declare it to the whole world, but she knew that that probably wasn't the best idea.

"When did that happen?" Casey questioned smiling. She was genuinely happy for her new friends.

"Last night. I played hero _and_ got the girl," Olivia said with mock pride.

"Good for you. I'm sure she's as giddy as you are and so that will work well in my favor," Casey said.

"Why? You never answered my question. What are you plotting?" Olivia asked again.

A smirk crossed Casey's face and she told Olivia of her plan.

"Nice 'wooing', ADA Novak. I wish I had thought of that," Olivia said.

"Thank you, Detective Benson. And not to worry. I'm sure we'll be doing a lot of plotting together in the future," Casey replied.

"How do you figure that?" Olivia asked.

"Well, hopefully, I'll be dating your girlfriend's best friend soon. And in dating best friends, you and I essentially get to be partners in crime," Casey explained.

"I like the way you think. We get to discuss dinners, trips, and our plans for our girls…and they get to discuss how great we are," Olivia deciphered.

"Precisely," Casey said succinctly. "Now let's hope things go as planned."

"Well, I've got my girl. Now let's see about getting you yours," Olivia grinned.

"Glad you're on board, 'cause I need a favor," Casey smiled.

"You need me to be your 'errand boy', don't you?" Olivia laughed.

"I can see why they made you detective," Casey replied with a smirk.

The two women entered Casey's apartment where Olivia got ready for work.

Casey handed Olivia a cup of coffee on her way out. "Thanks in advance, Liv."

"No problem, Case. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. See you later."

Casey smiled her goodbye as she shut her door and proceeded to get ready for her day.


	28. Chapter 28

Thursday, 11:30am, The Halls of Justice.

"Come in," Casey called out when she heard the knock on her door.

"Hey Case. Your 'errand boy' is here," Olivia chuckled.

"Hey Liv. I actually managed to get most of it done myself, so you're more of a 'delivery boy'," Casey smiled.

"Oh okay. What did you need me to do?" Olivia asked,

"First, take this bag to Serena office for me while I take this one to Alex's. Then, come back here and join me for lunch," Casey said as she indicated to the bags.

"That's all?" Olivia asked.

"Pretty much," Casey said with a smirk.

"Alright," Olivia said eyeing Casey with amused suspiciousness. "But I don't know where Serena's office is."

Casey handed Olivia a small slip of paper with Serena's office written on it. With a smirk, she said, "Anything else, Detective?"

"You're making me look bad, Novak," Olivia griped playfully.

"Trust me, this benefits you too," Casey replied. "Now get going!"

Laughing, Olivia picked up the bag intended for Serena and left Casey's office.

Arriving at Serena's door, she knocked and waited for an invitation to enter. Instead, the door swung open and Serena looked at Olivia surprised.

"Detective Benson. I was just going to go grab a granola bar," Serena indicated in the direction of a nearby vending machine. "Is there something I can help you with?" said asked, remaining professional.

"No ADA Southerlyn. I was just dropping off your lunch. So your trip to the vending machine is unnecessary," Olivia replied in the same professional tone. Her smile, though, betrayed the seriousness. She handed Serena the bag and turned on her heels.

"My lunch?" Serena asked, but Olivia was already out of earshot.

With a confused expression, Serena re-entered her office and resumed her post by her phone. While she waited for the call, she decided to see what Olivia had brought her. Upon opening the bag, the smell of Chinese food permeated the air. _I wonder why Olivia brought me lunch_ Serena wondered. She wanted to call Alex to see if she knew what was going on, but she couldn't tie up her phone line. Deciding that her curiosity would have to wait, but her hunger didn't, she enjoyed her meal while reviewing some paperwork.

A few minutes later, the phone rang and Serena abandoned her lunch for her work. After she ended the call 20 minutes later, she decided to reward herself by indulging in her fortune cookie before finishing off the rest of her lunch. She freed the cookie from its wrapper and cracked it open to read her fortune. What she saw made her laugh out loud.

'You will have dinner with a red-head tomorrow night.'

_Talk about coincidences_ Serena thought. _I hope this fortune comes true…_

She turned the fortune over. In place of the usual Chinese character and English translation, the slip of paper read 'Lucky Number: 212-206-6825'.

_Well, it's a Manhattan area code_ Serena shrugged She decided to call it. This was just too weird to resist. Dialing the number, Serena proceeded to enjoy her Lo Mein. The phone was answered on the second ring.

"I hope you're enjoying your lunch Ms. Southerlyn," came the reply.

"Casey?" Serena said. Her voice was laced with her surprise.

"Didn't I say lunch wouldn't be a problem?" Casey said with a smile.

"How did you…?" Serena asked.

"I have my ways," Casey answered before Serena finished her question.

"I'm impressed. What else do you have in your bag of tricks?" Serena asked.

"I can't reveal all my tricks in one day, now can I? You'll just have to wait until tomorrow night to see what else I've got up my sleeve," Casey replied flirtatiously.

"Confident that I'll say yes?" Serena teased. She was definitely going to say yes, but she would never pass up an opportunity to flirt. It was a favorite pastime and one she was quite good at.

"Not interested?" Casey smirked already knowing the answer.

"Oh I assure you, Counselor. I'm interested in more than what you've got up your_sleeve_," Serena purred.

Casey blushed but maintained the poise in her tone. "I'm hoping to be done with everything around 5 tomorrow, so I'll pick you up at your office at 5:30," she said with a questioning tone.

"Make it 6. I assure you, I'm worth the wait," Serena responded.

"There was never a doubt in my mind, Counselor," Casey replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."

To say that Serena was giddy would be a gross understatement. She picked up her phone to call her best friend and tell her the good news.

"ADA Cabot," Alex answered.

"Good news, Lexi," Serena said cheerily.

"What's that?" Alex asked before taking another bite of her lunch.

"Guess who's got a date with your second chair tomorrow night," Serena said smugly.

"That's great, Serena. She finally called, huh?" Alex asked as she put down her chopsticks.

"Actually, a fortune cookie told me and I called her," Serena replied.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd ask if you hit your head, but one of my fortune cookies just implored me to let Casey leave on time tomorrow. Now it makes much more sense," Alex chuckled.

"She brought you lunch too?" Serena asked.

"Yes. I told her she was my second chair and not my assistant, but she was very insistent. Now I know why," Alex laughed.

"Wait you said 'one of your cookies'. You got more than one?" Serena pouted.

"Yes," Alex smiled. "Don't pout, I think it's supposed to be a bribe."

"What did that fortune say?" Serena asked.

"I don't know. I haven't opened it yet," Alex responded amused.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Serena asked impatiently.

Alex shook her head. Pinning the phone between her head and her shoulder, she opened her fortune cookie and read it aloud for Serena's benefit. "'Tomorrow night bodes well for you and your girlfriend.' I was right. It is a bribe," Alex chuckled.

"Your girlfriend?" Serena asked. "Since when does one date constitute having a girlfriend?"

"Oh. Good news, Serena," Alex mirrored her friend's earlier phrasing.

"Olivia's your girlfriend and you told Casey before you told me?" Serena half yelled with hurt laced in her tone.

"No, I didn't tell her. I guess Olivia did," Alex responded. "Don't give me that look, Southerlyn. I know you're glaring at me," she laughed.

"Ugh," Serena threw up the hand that wasn't holding the receiver. "Sometimes, this twin vibe thing we have really annoys me."

"If it's any consolation, you always annoy me," Alex teased.

The conversation between Alex and Serena continued in very much the same manner. They mocked good-naturedly and teased each other like old friends tended to.

_Meanwhile in Casey's office_

Casey had just gotten off the phone with Serena while Olivia sat enjoying some Chinese food of her own.

"So how _did_ you manage this?" Olivia asked curiously. She had gotten her own fortune cookie from Casey earlier, which informed her that she had a date with a hot blonde the following night and that reservations had been made at a very posh restaurant uptown.

"I know a guy who knows a guy who makes fortune cookies. It wasn't too hard," Casey replied.

"You've got friends who pull these kinds of favors for you? Glad we're not fighting over the same girl," Olivia commented. "Thanks for making those reservations by the way. I'm assuming that was another favor from a friend."

"Yes it was. And you're very welcome by the way. If my boss is happy, then work is good," Casey said. "And if my friends are happy, then life is good," she said sincerely.

"Thanks, Case. Serena's a lucky woman," Olivia smiled.

"Thanks, but I think I'm the lucky one. And Alex is pretty lucky, too," Casey returned the compliment.

"Nah. I'm _know_I'm the lucky one," Olivia grinned

"Touché," Casey smirked. "I look forward to working with you on this new endeavor," Casey said as she raised her soda in toast.

"As do I," Olivia mirrored the gesture. "To new friendships," Olivia proposed.

"And new romances," Casey added.


End file.
